Lady of Camelot
by kmj1989
Summary: When Anna made her way to Camelot, she was simply hoping her older brother's friend would be able to find her a safe place to stay. She never imagined she would find a home, or a family, or possibly even love.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Clearly, this isn't mine. Also, it is AU, seeing as Arthur is alive and knows and accepts magic.**

Chapter One

"There's Camelot. We've made it, Anna! And now Lot will never bother you again. Merlin will make sure of it," Hunith said decisively, which roughly translated to "I will make sure that Merlin makes sure of it."

I grinned wearily, clutching the strap of my small bag. "Are you sure it's alright? I know Merlin invited you, but he never said anything about me..."

"Anna," she said sternly, stopping to face me. "Your brother was his closest childhood friend. He'll take care of this. And even if you weren't Will's sister, he would still do something about it. You're safe now, love," she finished, cupping my face gently. "Or at least you will be once we make it to the castle. Come along. I've gone long enough without seeing my son. And it's always fun to surprise my brother, as well."

I laughed, following along behind her. It seemed as if seeing the white city up ahead had lent her more energy, as she walked faster than she had most of our journey.

Walking through the city markets was a bit of a chore, seeing as there were more people there than lived in our entire village. I clung to Hunith's arm desperately, rather afraid I would lose her in the crowd. And I couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that Lot's men were still following us, even though we'd not seen any evidence of such for more than a week.

"Hunith, is that you?" A clear voice called out over the crowd, catching our attention. "It is you!" she called again, and we saw a beautiful young woman head our way. The crowd parted, letting her and the four knights with her through. "So you've finally accepted Merlin's offer, then?"

"Your Majesty," Hunith said, dipping into a respectful curtsey. After a brief, shocked moment, I did so, as well. I remembered her as Gwen, the Lady Morgana's maid. When did she become Queen? Apparently, I'd missed quite a bit since they'd all come to Ealdor.

"Oh, there's no need for that, Hunith," the queen said, laughing as she wrapped her arms around the closest thing I had to a mother. She didn't seem to worry about the danger she was putting her fine gown in from the dust coating Hunith's clothes. "But Merlin and Gaius will be thrilled you've come! And who's this you've brought with you?" She turned to me with an open, inviting smile.

"I'm Anna, Your Majesty," I replied, dipping into another curtsey.

"Anna, not Will's sister, Anna? Oh my, you've grown up so beautifully! I remember you as the tiny little thing following on Merlin's every word," she grinned, then wrapped me in a hug, as well. "Merlin will be happy to see you, too. Now, you must come up to the castle. How long will you be staying with us?"

I didn't realize we'd started moving until the men with her surrounded us with ease, guarding us as we moved through the market. "Well, we were hoping we could stay here, permanently," Hunith said cautiously. I was glad she'd spoken, since the sudden dread that we might not be allowed to stay had caused my throat to nearly swell shut.

"Oh, that's wonderful news!" the queen gushed. "Merlin and Gaius will be delighted, and heaven knows I could use a few ladies around who have something in their heads besides clothes and knights. I get enough of the knights without the ladies of the court twittering on about them."

"You know you love us, Gwen." The knight in the front right spoke, throwing the queen a grin.

"You, only because you're my brother. The rest of them, only because they keep my husband safe," she shot back.

"Hey! I thought you loved me for my charm and sparkling wit," the front left said, pouting dramatically.

"You're the only one who thinks you have charm or wit, sparkling or otherwise," the huge one behind me said.

"I'm wounded, truly. Cut to the quick," the dramatic one said, throwing his hand over his heart, but not before he sent me a quick wink.

"Ignore the boys. It's the only way I've managed to stay sane this long," the queen said, sliding an arm through mine. "Especially Gwaine. Maybe if you ignore him, his overly large head will deflate enough to fit inside a helmet." She went on, talking over his offended cry and the others' laughter. "Now, since you ladies haven't met any of the knights, I'll introduce you. The one whose only saving grace is that he's my brother is Elyan. The one who thinks he's charming is Gwaine. Never believe anything he says. Percival is behind you, Anna, and Leon is behind you, Hunith. And you will soon learn that they are never up to any good, except in times of battle."

"Which is where we are at our finest, My Queen," Sir Gwaine said, apparently over his pout.

"I thought you promised that maid at the tavern last night that you were never better than when you have mead in your belly and a pretty girl in your arms," Sir Leon said quizzically, but I saw the amused gleam in his eye.

Playful banter continued as we made our way up to the castle. Once within the walls, the queen grinned. "It's nearly lunchtime, so I say we interrupt Arthur and Merlin. It'll be fun. I can't wait to see Merlin's face when he sees you. They're in Arthur's study, supposedly working on new laws about magic, which really means that Merlin is lecturing Arthur about how magic really works, and Arthur is provoking him." She laughed, then all but dragged us up the steps and through several corridors, seemingly unaware of the servants dropping bows and curtsies all around her.

We arrived in front of a pair of rather ordinary doors just as a pair of young boys did, as well, laden with a rather crumptious looking luncheon. "Thank you, boys. We'll take those, if you can go back to the kitchens and get us enough for all of us, please."

Both boys happily handed over their loads to the knights before scampering off to do their queen's bidding. She then grinned and opened the doors rather quickly, catching the inhabitants inside off guard. "It's time to eat, boys, and I've brought a surprise with me," she declared, pulling Hunith and me into the room with her.

"Mother?" Merlin cried, then looked to me in shock. "Anna?"

"Hello, my son," Hunith said happily, reaching for her boy. He didn't hesitate, but ran straight for her.

"I'm so glad you're here!" he said, holding his mother tightly. "But I thought you didn't want to leave Ealdor."

"Lot changed our minds," she explained, then curtsied to the king once she was free.

Who grinned at us, and grinned even more when Hunith captured him in a hug, as well. "Welcome to Camelot. Both of you. But what do you mean Lot changed your minds? What does he have to do with anything?"

I was rather intimidated quite suddenly. After all, I was in a room with the most important people in Camelot. What was I compared to them?

But Merlin seemed to guess. "It's because of your father's lands, isn't it?"

I nodded, looking down at the ground in a mixture of embarrassment, shame, and fear. The queen gently took my arm and led me to a chair in front of the table. "Why don't we eat, and then Hunith and Anna can tell us their story, alright? After all, you poor things must have been travelling for quite a long time to have made it from Ealdor." Then, she once again wrapped an arm around me. "You've got nothing to worry about here. No one in this room will judge you for things that happened outside of your control. And there will be no pity, only compassion," she whispered.

Hope starting warring with the dread inside of me. But I could only nod in response. She smiled kindly once more before a knock at the door had all of us looking to it. "Oh, there you are, boys! Perfect timing, as usual," she praised them. They, quite adorably, blushed. "Please put the food on the table, and then, Eric, will you please have the chamberlain prepare the two rooms near Merlin's. Our guests will be staying there. Have Eseld prepare baths for both of them, with my special oil. She'll know which one. And James, please have Gaius come join us. Tell him there's a surprise waiting for him in the King's study."

"You might want to emphasize it's from the Queen," Merlin added, a twinkle in his eye as he escorted his mother to the table. "He's bound to come a bit quicker that way."

"Why would he come more quickly if it's from Gwen than me?" the king asked, perplexed.

"Because he likes her better." The answer came from every man in the room other than the king, who looked a bit offended at first, but then he shrugged it off.

"I like her better, too," he stated, pushing his queen's chair in for her.

The meal went quickly, though I could hardly eat anything for the worry and shame swirling through me. The others teased each other relentlessly; however, it was obvious that none of it was meant in earnest. Even Hunith, who had only met about half of them before, joined in, telling enough humorous stories of Merlin as a child to leave him red in the face.

But it couldn't last forever. After everyone had finished eating, the king looked to me. "Anna, will you tell us what this mess with Lot is all about?"

I closed my eyes, but nodded. I began, still with eyes shut firmly against the world. "My father was a lord under Cenred, well, his father, really. Father didn't like Cenred, thought he was nothing more than a bully, but unfortunately, his oath to Jory also included loyalty to his offspring, so he had to fight for Cenred, even if he didn't agree with him. He was killed in battle, which I'm sure was no coincidence, since we received word of his death scarcely an hour before Cenred arrived and escorted us all out of our ancestral home, at sword point. He said something about the right of conquest of traitors. Mother tried to fight it, but there was nothing she could do, no one to help her, so we eventually found our way to Ealdor. Will was so angry about all of it that he swore he would never have anything to do with kings or lords ever again."

"I remember that anger quite vividly," the king said, smiling a bit wryly.

I grinned for a moment. "I do, too," I replied, then sighed. "But then Cenred was killed, and his younger brother, Lot, took the throne. Lot has gone through five wives in the past four years, each with a rather large dowry or holding of lands. And then he found me in Ealdor, and now wants to marry me to have a legitimate claim on my father's lands, since I'm his last heir."

"Don't sell yourself short, Anna," Gwaine said, a smile on his face contradicting the darkness in his eyes. "I'm sure the fact that you're a beautiful young woman with presumably no family connections to protect you also made you an attractive choice for the coward."

I smiled grimly. "I'm just glad I have Hunith. I've stayed with her ever since Mother died, so she was there when Lot's men came with his 'offer'. She sent them packing, tails tucked firmly between their legs."

"Mother?" Merlin looked a bit shocked. "What did you- How did you send them off?"

She patted his shoulder. "You weren't Gaius's only student, dear. I just learned to use magic in small, unnoticable ways usually, to keep others' suspicion at bay. But when they tried to take my girl, they quickly learned not to touch her."

"Unfortunately, that didn't seem to stop Lot from trying. He sent more men, several times, and with jewels and gold, to try to sway me. When that failed to convince me, he sent men to kidnap me one night. But Hunith sent them off again. After that, I knew I couldn't stay in Ealdor, so Hunith suggested we make our way here," I continued. "We decided to leave at night, so no one would see us leave, but Lot had the same idea. We had just barely made it to the forest when we saw their torches."

"Thankfully, Lot isn't the brightest, else he would have sent his men in without those and we might have been caught," Hunith added.

"As it was, they managed to find our trail rather easily. It was only Hunith's magic and the few tricks she's taught me that kept us in front of them, even though they were on horses. Even here, I can't help but feel that they'll find me and take me back to him."

"I assure you, Anna, we will not allow that to happen," the king told me, looking me directly in the eye.

"They would have to get through the best knights in all the land to get to you," Sir Leon assured with a kind smile.

"And I happen to have a few magic tricks to keep you safe," Merlin added to make me laugh. "But, in all seriousness, you're safe here, Anna. We won't let anyone get you."

Hunith squeezed my hand as tears slipped down my face. "Thank you," I whispered, in awe of the way they were so willing to protect an insignificant girl.

A knock sounded at the door, dragging everyone's attention from me. "My Queen, you needed- Hunith?" An old man stood just in the door, looking at Hunith like she was a very welcome ghost.

"Hello, brother," she beamed, before rushing out of her seat to tackle him with yet another hug.

The old man, apparently Gaius, seemed nearly in tears as he embraced her. "I never thought I would see you again," he whispered.

The moment seemed incredibly personal, so I quickly averted my eyes, and I saw everyone else do the same. "Well, Anna, I'm sure you're tired from your journey, so Merlin and I will show you to your room," the queen said.

The way she said it left no room for argument, whether or not we had planned to, so Merlin and I followed as she swept out of the room, pausing only to kiss her husband on the cheek. "I'll send Merlin back when I'm done with him," she promised.

"No, please keep him!" the king protested in jest. "I don't want him back!"

"Well, maybe I don't want to come back," Merlin shot back, and there was a flash of gold in his eyes, just before the king yelped.

"Why did I bring back magic?" was barely heard over the knight's laughter as we walked further down the hallway.

Merlin was grinning when he turned to me and swung an arm around my shoulders. "So, Anna, other than mad kings chasing you for your hand in marriage, how have you been?"

"Clearly not as well as you, My Lord Sorcerer," I mocked, bobbing a tiny curtsey.

His fingers found the incredibly ticklish spot on my side, digging in mercilessly. "It's My Lord Grand Sorcerer to you, urchin," he teased, trapping me against a wall to use both hands for tickling.

My laughs turned into shrieks as he dug his fingers into my neck, causing me to instantly drop to the floor. And for a moment, it seemed as if I was taken back years to my childhood, when Will and Merlin would torment me, before spoiling me senseless.

Rushing footsteps brought our attention back in the direction we'd come from to see those we'd left rushing toward us, and those with swords had them drawn. "What happened, Anna?" Hunith asked, worried eyes raking over me, assessing for any possible damage.

"Your son is a brute," I told her, tugging on his hand to pull myself up. Well, he ended up doing most of the work, but I let him, seeing as he was the reason I'd ended up on the floor in the first place. I brushed off my skirt, not that it did much good, then looked up to see the four knights glaring at Merlin.

"It would appear that Anna is ticklish, and Merlin knew that," the queen explained with a smile.

"And he used it to an unfair advantage," I added, smacking him lightly in the stomach.

"But you screamed," Sir Percival said, looking confused.

"I'm incredibly ticklish," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Merlin's quite sensitive about his ears, just for future reference," the king told me casually.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I grinned, as Merlin spluttered senselessly.

"So you're alright?" Sir Leon asked me, finally sheathing his sword.

"Other than my pride being slightly bruised, and possibly my backside from meeting the floor so suddenly, yes," I assured him. "But thank you all for being so concerned."

"Of course, Lady Anna. It's our duty and our pleasure," Sir Gwaine told me, sweeping a grand bow toward me, before sending another wink.

"Ignore him," Merlin scowled, tugging on my arm a bit. "He's a prat."

"But I'm your favorite prat," Sir Gwaine countered.

"Come along, Anna," the queen told me. "If we don't leave now, the boys could be brawling on the floor soon. Would you like to come with now, Hunith?"

Hunith nodded, and she and her brother joined us. "Gaius, this is Anna, the girl I was telling you about," she told him, clinging to his arm in happiness.

"So you're who I have to thank for bringing my sister back to Camelot," he said. He seemed to scowl at me, but I caught the glimpse of the twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, there's no need for sir for me," he said, waving my words aside. "I'm only a simple physician."

"There's nothing simple about you, Gaius. And the only reason why you don't have a title is because you keep refusing one whenever Arthur tries to give you one," the queen scolded.

Gaius looked a bit sheepish. "And I will continue to do so for as long as he tries. I'm perfectly happy as I am."

"A grumpy old man who likes his books more than most people," Merlin teased.

"That's because most books don't talk back."

"Do any books talk back?" I asked, suddenly very curious.

"If you know the right books," Gaius answered, eyes twinkling even more.

It seemed that whoever had designed the castle had decided to put the king's study and the living chambers on opposite sides. At least there would be no worry of getting fat or lazy while here, I thought to myself with a smile. But we did finally come to a stop in a short hallway with four doors. "These are my chambers," Merlin told us, gesturing to the first door.

"And this one will be yours, Hunith," the queen said, opening the second. "And the next one is for you, Anna. There should be a warm bath waiting for both of you, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

Hunith smiled gently. "Thank you, Your Majesty. You've been far too kind."

"Nonsense. And I told you already, there's no need for Your Majesty. At least not when it's just us. And that goes for you, too, Anna. I'm just Gwen to you. Now, go relax, and remember, you're safe here," she said, looking me in the eye as she said the last bit.

I nodded, then slipped into the most beautiful room I'd seen since my earliest childhood. The bed was huge, taking up one entire wall, and across from it, a couch and chairs were situated around a fireplace. The wall across from the door had several windows, and in front of one was my bath. It waited, slightly hidden by a dressing screen that I could pull out more fully. Steam was still rising from the water as I hurried toward it. I stripped, dropping my bag and clothes as I went.

The hot water was a blessed change from the frigid waters I'd hastily bathed in over the last week and a half. I unbraided my hair, then sank up to my chin in the water. And soon enough, I was asleep.

 **AN: I know I really shouldn't be posting yet another story, but here it is. I couldn't resist. Gwaine is far too much fun to ignore. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I will have the next chapter up soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The water was still warm when I woke again, though it was cooling rapidly. I scrubbed using the wonderfully scented soap that was waiting for me, then went to work on my hair. It was tangled and matted, since combing it had hardly been a priority on our journey. After far longer than I wanted to admit to, it was finally clean.

Wrapping the long linen towel around myself, I headed over to where I'd dropped my bag and rummaged through it, looking for something that was at least somewhat clean. A knock on the door sent me scrambling back to the dressing screen. "Who is it?" I called out, suddenly terrified Lot's men had found me, even for all the promises of safety I'd received.

"It's Gwen," came the voice through the door. "I've brought you something to wear. I thought you might like something that's not been covered in road dust."

"Oh, um, come in," I squeaked, my fear leaking out of me. I kept behind the screen, only poking my head out to see.

She entered with a bundle of sunshine yellow cloth in her arms. "We're close enough in size that I think we'll be able to make this work until we can get some new ones made for you," she told me, bustling in to hand me the bundle around the screen. "Try it on. We'll see how it fits."

I slipped into the softest dress I'd worn in ages. "Here, I'll tie it for you," the queen said. I still couldn't call her Gwen, regardless of what she'd said. She tied up the dress with speed and efficiency. "Would you like me to comb out your hair for you? I know how rough days on the road can be on curls." And before I knew it, she had led me to a chair near the fireplace and was combing through my hair.

We sat in silence for a bit, since I had no idea what to say to the servant girl turned queen. But she clearly didn't have that problem. "Have you thought about what you would like to do here in Camelot?"

I laughed a bit ruefully. "I haven't had much time, honestly."

"Running away from unwanted marriages has that effect on people," she said wryly.

"That it does," I agreed with another laugh. "But I did think I could work with Gaius, possibly. Hunith's taught me quite a bit, so hopefully I'd be able to do some good."

"Oh, I'm sure he'd be more than willing to have you," she told me. "Ever since Merlin's been made Court Sorcerer, Gaius makes little digs about us taking away his best worker. But I did have something else in mind for you, if you didn't mind."

Suddenly, the queen sounded terribly nervous, like I might not like what she had to say. But that was ridiculous. The only thing she could say that I wouldn't like would be that I couldn't stay in Camelot. "What is it?" I asked, turning my head a bit so I could actually see her.

She smiled, then tugged on my hair gently for me to face forward again. "Well, members of the nobility have been hounding me for a while now about setting up my own court, like Arthur's. He's got his most trusted knights, and Merlin, of course, and they think I should have something similar, ladies in waiting. Though what they're waiting for, no one can tell me," she said, sounding slightly exasperated. "But apparently, Queen Ygraine, Arthur's mother, had a large contingent of ladies in waiting, and it's something I simply must have." I could hear the mocking in her tone at that. "So will you do this for me?"

It took me a moment to realize what she was asking. "Wait, you want me to be your lady in waiting? But I- You can't-"

"Actually, I can. It's one of the best parts of being queen, second only to being married to Arthur, of course," she teased.

"But I'm no one," I protested. "I can't be a lady in waiting!"

"You said yourself that you're of noble birth," the queen countered smugly. "And I don't care about that, anyway. You happen to know that I was a servant not that long ago. I'm the child of a blacksmith and a maid; clearly so is Elyan. Percival was a commoner, as well. Titles don't mean much in our court, Anna. So will you do this for me?"

"But you hardly know me," I said, still trying to understand everything she was asking.

"I saw enough of you in Ealdor to know you're a good person, with a strong mind of your own. Don't think I didn't notice you throwing rocks at Kanen's men." I could hear the grin in her voice. "I think you'll do nicely, if you'll just say yes."

As she finished speaking, she also tied off the braid I hadn't even been aware that she had put my hair into. I turned to her slowly, trying to wrap my head around her words. "Do you really mean it?" I finally asked.

She beamed. "Absolutely!"

"Then I would be honored, Your Majesty."

"Splendid! And since you said yes, that means you have to call me Gwen," she declared.

…

A feast was thrown for Hunith and me that night. Gwen promised me that it would be a small affair, but it seemed that her definition of small differed greatly from mine. But Merlin assured me that it was, in fact, small, as there were only about half the knights in attendance, and only those few lords and ladies who were staying in the castle as opposed to all those who lived nearby. "And you'd best get used to it, my lady," he teased me. "Since you're now Gwen's lady in waiting."

"I'm still not entirely sure how I agreed to it," I said softly.

"You'll get used to that, too. Gwen has a way of getting her way," he grinned.

The king and queen entered, arm in arm, with pleasant smiles on their faces. They greeted those they passed, nodding regally, as they made their way to the high table. Once to their places, the king smiled a bit more broadly. "Welcome, my lords and ladies, and thank you all for coming. And we extend a special welcome to Lady Hunith, mother of our own Lord Merlin, and Lady Annaleise, the queen's new lady in waiting. We are pleased to have you here in Camelot, ladies," he said, raising a wine glass in our direction.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," we chorused, dipping into curtsies once more.

"Come join us," Gwen directed. "Lord Merlin, bring those lovely ladies to join us."

That was how I found myself at the high table, where I would now eat at every formal feast. After the food, there was of course the obligatory mingling, and of course, Gwen dragged me along with her. She kept her arm tucked securely through mine, ensuring that I couldn't slip away. She introduced me to everyone, though there was no way I would remember all the names to go with the faces. Most of the ladies simpered and flattered, though there were a few that glared at me when they thought I couldn't see them. It appeared that they had been hoping for my new position as the queen's closest companion.

But it was some of the lords that made me a bit uneasy. Most were polite, a few were eager to get in my good graces, and thereby Gwen's. But there were a few that seemed to leer at me, and one or two even at Gwen, and it brought a tiny bit of the fear I'd been living with for months to inhabit its usual place in the pit of my belly.

Thankfully, Gwen never stayed in conversation with any one person for very long, and those men for even shorter. And then I met Lord Godwin.

He was attractive, with nearly the same coloring as the king, but with a far more arrogant manner and far less reason to be so. "My Lady," he said, bowing deeply to me as he kissed my hand. I felt the need to wipe my hand, but somehow managed to restrain myself. After all, I couldn't embarrass Gwen this early in my tenure as her lady in waiting. "I can't say how delighted I am that our gracious queen has brought you to our courts. We were in need of someone of your beauty."

"There are many other beautiful ladies in attendance tonight," I countered, trying to contain the shudders his gaze on me caused.

"But none seem to shine quite as brightly as you, my dear," he said, still holding onto my hand.

I didn't know what to do. A tiny experimental tug didn't loosen his grip, and there was no way I'd be able to wrench myself free without causing a scene. Glancing at Gwen, I saw her drawing herself up to say something.

But she didn't have to. "Your Majesty, the Royal Prat has requested your presence," Sir Gwaine announced, squeezing between me and Lord Godwin, causing the other man to let go of my hand or potentially risk breaking my arm.

"Thank you, Gwaine," she said warmly. "Lord Godwin, it has been an experience, as always."

He somehow didn't catch her none too subtle meaning. Instead, he puffed up even more. "Thank you, my queen."

I didn't have to know Gwen well to see the smile she was failing to hide as she left to go to her husband. But panic blossomed in my chest as Lord Godwin turned back to me. "Lady Annaliese, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?" he asked, ignoring Sir Gwaine completely.

"Actually, Merlin was looking for you, Anna. We wouldn't want to keep the Grand Sorcerer waiting, now would we?" the knight countered.

All three of us knew he was lying, but there was nothing Lord Godwin could do without accusing one of the king's favored knights. And I knew that Merlin would back Sir Gwaine if it came to that. It appeared that Lord Godwin knew that, as well, as he reluctantly bowed to me again. "It was a pleasure to meet you," he said, kissing my hand once again. "I look forward to getting to know you better."

Sir Gwaine all but ripped Godwin's hands off me, then tucked my hand into his arm. "Merlin is waiting," he growled. He then hurried us toward the head of the room, where Merlin was talking with his mother and Gaius.

Once there were plenty of people between us and Godwin, I leaned closer to Sir Gwaine. "Thank you for that," I said quietly.

"What kind of a knight would I be if I left the damsel in distress with a monster?" he quipped, shooting me what I was coming to recognize as his charming smile.

"A normal one," I replied, wiping the smile off his face.

"I know you haven't been in Camelot long, but Arthur expects more from his knights. Requires it. Honor, loyalty, justice, honesty, defense of the defenseless, these are all things that we swore we would live our lives by when we swore our oaths to Arthur. Things are different here in Camelot, I promise," Sir Gwaine said, sounding utterly serious for the first time. "Of course, Godwin isn't a knight, so he doesn't have to worry about these things, but we all made a promise to you to keep you safe. And that means even from idiots like Godwin."

I was stunned. Was that really the truth? Could I really be safe, not just from Lot's men, but from unwanted advances of any kind? But before I could do more than marvel at the thought, Sir Gwaine continued. "And there's the fact that Merlin sees you as his little sister and could curse anyone who even thought about hurting you."

A laugh bubbled out of my throat, even for the tiniest pang at his sister comment, and he looked absurdly pleased with himself. "And now Percival owes me two gold pieces. I told him I'd be the first one to make you truly smile."

"You are utterly ridiculous," I told him with another laugh, just as we joined Merlin, Hunith, and Gaius.

"But I am utterly at your service, for anything you desire," he said, bowing just as absurdly low as Lord Godwin had earlier, but with a saucy wink thrown in for good measure.

"You poor thing," Merlin said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "You were rescued from one moral-free idiot by yet another one."

"Yes, it's true," I agreed, much to the protestation of Sir Gwaine. "But at least this one doesn't send shudders down my spine."

"I could, you know," he said lowly, suggestively.

I stared at him, repressing said shudders, even though they were of a different sort altogether than those caused by Lord Godwin. "I'm sure that works on all the barmaids, but I'm afraid it won't work on me. After all, I've had a king try to woo me. I'm afraid you've got nothing on him."

A delighted, challenging gleam lit his brown eyes. "I suppose we'll see about that," he whispered in my ear, before winking once more and walking away.

I turned back to see Merlin and Hunith staring at me. "What?" I cried, somewhat defensively.

"You realize that Gwaine is the biggest flirt in the court, right?" Merlin asked me, sounding a mix of concerned and possibly angry. "He flirts with all the pretty ladies, but he doesn't have a serious bone in his body."

"I thought he was your friend." I was terribly confused.

Merlin flushed a bit. "Just be careful around Gwaine, alright? I just don't want to see you hurt."

That caused me to laugh. "I've handled flirts before, Merlin. I can take care of myself, I promise. After all, your mother taught me a few of her more handy spells for getting rid of unwanted suitors," I grinned.

He finally relaxed, even laughed a bit himself. "I just- I promised Will I would look after you if anything happened to him, and then I all but ignored you for five years. I've got a lot to make up for."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You had a few other things on your mind, like making this kingdom safe for those of us who practice magic, and keeping your king alive and on his throne. And besides, I can take care of myself." A stern look from Hunith had me amending that. "At least from most things. Mad, wife-killing kings who want my lands are a bit out of my range, but anything less than that, I should be able to take care of. Especially now that I have not only a Court Sorcerer on my side, but a queen, as well."

"Yes, you do, which means you have all of Camelot on your side, as well," Gwen said, smoothly inserting herself into the conversation. "Isn't that right, my love?" she asked her husband with a brilliant smile.

"Absolutely. You have nothing more to fear from Lot," the king assured me. "Or anyone else. You are one of us now, and we protect our own."

"With everything that we have," Merlin added.

"You're safe now, child," Gaius agreed.

An unfamiliar feeling filled my chest as I stood staring at the most powerful people in all of Camelot, swearing my protection. It took a moment for me to recognize that warm feeling as safety. My gaze glassy, I looked to each of them in awe. "Thank you. Thank you all."

 **AN: And here's chapter two! I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for the follows and favorites, and a huge thanks to parimalik, dmarie1184, and KayJane16 for the reviews. Reviews make my day!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

It was surprisingly easy to settle into life at the castle. Well, at least for the most part. Having my own maid again was an adjustment, and having people bow or curtsey to me once more took some getting used to. But I slipped into Gwen's life so perfectly that it almost felt like this was what I had been meant to do. We each became the sister the other had never had, and I was surprised by how quickly I was accepted by Arthur and his knights. Two weeks hadn't passed before I suddenly realized that I had dropped all titles, except in formal circumstances, of course.

Hunith took her role as Mother very seriously. It seemed as though she was determined to mother all of Camelot, but especially those of us in Gwen and Arthur's circle. Seeing as, outside of her son, none of us had a mother alive, or a father, for that matter, she took over the role for each and every one of us. She fussed over our eating and sleeping schedules, worried when the boys trained or went on missions, and knew when one or the other of us were sick, often before we even made our way to see Gaius.

…

Spring had fully arrived, and with it, a long skirmish against the Saxons. The boys were gone for nearly a month, fighting the Saxons and their rogue sorcerers. But once they returned, we could see that this had taken something out of them. All six of the men were injured somehow, even Merlin, and each one had withdrawn in his own way. Merlin shut himself in his chambers, pouring over old texts, looking for answers to questions that didn't really have answers. Arthur had taken to the training grounds for entire days, coming inside only when the light failed him. Leon went with him, and was nearly as ferocious as the king in his practice. Percival disappeared from the castle for three days, and arrived back with several new injuries. Elyan spent hours in his father's old forge, pounding out his frustrations on the anvil and bending the metal to his will. And Gwaine spent his nights in the tavern; his days were spent sleeping it off.

Two weeks after they had returned, Gwen and I were sewing in her sitting room in the afternoon light. Well, that's what we were supposedly doing. Really, we were worrying about all of the boys, while occasionally remembering to put needle to thread. But we quickly looked up when Hunith came storming in. "It has been long enough. Clearly, the boys are not getting over whatever happened on this mission, so it is up to us to do something for them."

It took some time, but we managed to come up with a plan to help them on their way to recovery. And then came the scheming to get them all to cooperate, but we split them all up, so that helped. Gwen went to her husband and Leon, and Hunith took Merlin and Percival, leaving me with Elyan and Gwaine.

I made my way to the forge first, with my requisite guards, Sirs Thomas and Stephan, trailing behind me. Gwen had insisted on them to keep me safe not only from Lot, though we hadn't heard anything from him the entire time I'd been in Camelot, but from anyone else who might have looked to take me to hurt the Crown. They tried to follow me into the forge, but I stopped them. "I'm sure Sir Elyan would have taken care of any threat inside the forge. I'll be fine," I promised with a smile.

Thomas grumbled, but they agreed. I went in, instantly feeling the heat from the fires. Elyan's hammer ringing on the anvil was my guide to find him. I watched him work for a moment, entranced by his obvious talent. It seemed that he was skilled in everything to do with a sword, not just in wielding it.

Finally, I remembered why I was there, and I called out to him. "Elyan, could I talk to you for a moment?"

"Just a moment, Anna," he said, never pausing in his work. I was a bit impressed, since he had clearly been aware of my presence the whole time. His training as a knight had paid off.

Elyan hammered for a moment longer, inspected the sword for a moment, then doused it in water. He placed his hammer carefully, straightening a few other tools, brushing off his clothes, taking his time before finally turning to me. "What can I do for you, Anna?"

"Your sister, Hunith, and I would like your company tomorrow, if that suits you," I explained.

He huffed a short laugh. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Not really," I grinned at him.

"What time and where shall I attend you, my lady?" he asked, inclining his head in jest.

"Please meet us in the front courtyard midmorning. You'll need your horse," I instructed.

"As my lady commands, so I shall do," he said, giving a deep, mocking bow.

"And you'd better not be late," I warned. "Or you will find that having three ladies upset with you makes your life rather difficult."

He laughed again. "I'll be there, Anna."

"Good. And make sure you eat something tonight," I ordered on my way out. I could hear his laughter following me as I rejoined my guards. I felt a bit triumphant at that, as we hadn't heard it since the boys' return.

The tavern was next. I knew I would find Gwaine there, since he had taken to going there by early evening since they'd been back. And sure enough, there he was, sitting at a table surrounded by people, and a tankard in his hand. Two empty ones lay next to him on the table already.

He was clearly in the middle of an amusing story, as there was a small crowd around him, and they all were laughing uproariously. Then he caught sight of me. "Why, my lady, I never thought I would see you in such an establishment!"

"I wouldn't be here if not for you. The queen has need of you," I retorted, glaring at his admirers. They scattered, muttering things about not mucking about with royalty. All but one. The blonde was rather clingy, sitting on his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck, and incredibly buxom, having her best assets terribly close to Gwaine's face. It was more than a bit disgusting.

"Ah, it seems that duty calls, my dear," he told Buxom.

She pouted, looking rather like an overgrown child. "Surely you could stay just a little while longer," she whined. Even her voice was grating, high pitched and nasally.

Gwaine looked to me quickly, but I simply stared back at him, thoroughly unimpressed by his companion. "I'm afraid not, lamb, not if Lady Anna was sent. But I'll be back tomorrow, and I'll finish telling you all about my adventures."

"You're so brave," she simpered.

He smirked. "That's not all I am. A magical dwarf once named me Strength incarnate."

The blonde cooed, but the rather blank look on her face told both Gwaine and me she didn't understand what he'd said. "Well, I must be off," he said, standing abruptly and setting her on the bench. "And don't forget. I'll be back tomorrow."

"How could I? You're the finest thing to ever walk in here," she assured.

I barely withheld the laugh that tried to escape at the cocky smirk crossing his face. At least until we got outside. "You realize she only said that because you're a knight, right?"

"Probably," he agreed, grin still firmly affixed to his lips. "But at least it means she likes me for something. Now, how can I help you, milady?"

"Gwen, Hunith, and I require your company tomorrow morning," I said, not giving him the option to say no like I had with Elyan. "Meet us in the courtyard midmorning with your horse."

"Midmorning?" he asked incredulously. "Then I can go back to the tavern now."

But I disagreed. "No, you can't, because if you do, you'll sleep through our appointment tomorrow," I argued, grabbing hold of his sleeve. "And besides, you wouldn't leave me to walk back unescorted, would you?"

Gwaine snorted. "You've got your guards."

"That's their job, but it's your duty to escort a lady when she asks it," I smiled sweetly.

He laughed, holding his arm out in mock gallantry. "As you wish, milady."

Sadly, his good humor slipped away the further we walked. In fact, the latter half of our walk was taken in silence, which was rather disconcerting, given his normal predilection for speaking at length on whatever subject struck his fancy.

"Well, milday, I have escorted you safely to your chambers," he said, once again bowing ridiculously low. "Now, I leave you until tomorrow."

"Thank you, Gwaine," I said, but he was already walking down the hallway.

Sighing, I promised my guards that I was settling in for the night. Tomorrow can't come soon enough, I thought, as I readied myself for bed, curling up with a fascinating history Geoffrey, the librarian, had found for me.

…

Surprising no one, Gwaine was the last one to meet us the next morning, looking rather the worse for the wear. I suspected he had simply tucked into some of his private stores of spirits after I had made him leave the tavern. But he wasn't the only one looking less than his usual self. Merlin was even paler than ever, blinking rather owlishly against the bright sunshine. Percival continually flexed his hands, as though he wanted still to hit something. Arthur and Elyan tried to convince Gwen that they were alright, but she wasn't buying it. And Leon simply stood stoically by his horse's head, mechanically brushing the mane with his hand.

"Alright, you lot, it's time we left," Gwen said, moving to her horse. Arthur helped her mount before mounting his own horse. Merlin assisted his mother, and Leon finally broke out of his revery to lift me onto my horse.

We women refused to tell the men where we were going, but it became rather obvious once we left the town behind and headed into the forest. The road was wide enough in most places that at least one of the men rode along side us women, keeping us safe at all times. It seemed unconscious to them, even with their own problems. And soon enough, we arrived at the meadow where the servants had prepared a picnic with several linen sheets laid out on the ground and copious cushions for us to sit on.

"So we're to have a picnic, my queen?" Arthur said, lifting his wife from her horse.

She grinned up at him. "Well, we decided that you all needed something happy, something carefree. And what better than a picnic with three beautiful ladies?"

The men all laughed, just as she intended, and it seemed to lighten their spirits, just a little. And as we ate, we only spoke of light things, nothing dark or depressing, per the queen's orders, of course.

"Pass me that bag, will you, Percival?" I asked, gesturing to my small satchel sitting next to him. We'd all eaten and everyone was relaxed, far more than they had been for some time. Arthur lay in Gwen's lap as she carded her fingers through his hair. Merlin stretched out next to his mother, looking far more content than I'd seen him in months. And the knights were all in various states of comfort, for once shedding that vigilant awareness that they carried with them more often than their knightly capes.

Percival did as I asked, and I dug around for a moment before finding what I wanted. "Ah hah!" I cried triumphantly, causing everyone to look at me.

"Are you going to play for us, Anna?" Merlin asked, a knowing smile aimed at the flute in my hand.

"Why, yes, my lord, I do believe I will," I said, eyes wide in exaggerated innocence.

"You play?" Gwaine asked confusedly, looking between me and my flute several times.

"No, I just carry around a flute for fun," I deadpanned, then, before he could respond, I put the flute to my lips.

Closing my eyes and taking a breath, I centered myself, reaching for that thread of magic I'd been taught to seek. Opening my eyes, I began to play, noting the others' reaction to the gold tinge my eyes took on. "That's always a bit surprising," Gwaine remarked, before Leon cuffed his shoulder in reproach.

As my playing continued, the magic grew. Soon, each person in the meadow was reclined on the ground, smiling in contentment. And as my song came to an end, I was grateful to be able to give them some small measure of peace.

The peaceful quiet was only slightly cracked by Arthur whispering, "Thank you, Anna. We all needed this, very much."

"You're welcome," I replied, feeling more at peace myself than I had been in a very long time.

Percival soon began to snore, followed closely by Merlin. I watched with happy satisfaction as, one by one, my companions nodded off to sleep. But there was no sleep for me. A price I was willing, no, happy to pay, if it meant that my friends were able to sleep peacefully, without the dreams that no doubt plagued their sleeping hours.

I figured that their nap would take some time, so I stood and wandered toward the stream nearby. A small school of fish swam there, back and forth, up and down. But there was one, a small, thin little thing, that seemed to lag behind the others, no matter where they went.

"That one's Merlin."

Gwaine's voice behind me didn't surprise me, like his grin when I turned to look at him suggested he was hoping for. "Really? I was thinking it looked more like a Gwaine to me."

His eyes lit up, just like every time we verbally sparred. "No, that one's a Gwaine," he said, pointing to a sleek, fast moving one.

"Oh, yes, now I see it. The one who can't sit still and listen to instructions," I replied dryly.

His laugh rang out, before he suddenly stopped, looking back to our friends. "I doubt something as little as laughter will wake them," I said, taking pity on him.

Gwaine nodded, growing serious once more. "Thank you for that, Anna," he started. "We needed that, all of us."

I had to swallow the sarcastic reply that sprang to my lips, the immediate response to anything Gwaine said. "It's the least I could do, any of us could do. We can't go to battle to protect our kingdom, but we can help those who do."

A small, warm smile crossed his face, not a smirk, for once. "Oh, I think you'd be a fierce opponent in battle. I might just suggest that to Arthur as a new battle tactic, loosing you on the enemy. You'd have them turning towards home, tails tucked firmly between their legs in no time."

"Are you implying that I am a harridan, Sir Gwaine?" I asked, pretending at indignance.

"Never, my lady," he said, though the twinkle in his eye belied the innocent expression on his face.

Laughing, I turned back to the stream. There was a moment of quiet, before Gwaine predictably broke it. "How does it work? Your playing, I mean, with the magic."

I smiled a bit at his fumbling for words, a rarity with him. "My mother taught me, starting as soon as my little hands could stretch to all the holes. She tried to teach Will, but he didn't have the patience." I laughed a bit at the memory. "I started with songs she composed, then she taught me to compose my own. But I'm still not sure if the magic's in the song, or if it's in me."

"It's most definitely in you," he flirted shamelessly, dodging out of the way of my half-hearted attempt to shove him in the water. "So what sort of songs can you do? Could you make us all… want to kill each other, or the like?"

Glaring at him, I replied tartly, "Mother always taught me that this was a gift, one to use to benefit others. I have never tried anything of the like, nor will I ever."

Hands raised in surrender, Gwaine apologized. "Sorry, love, I was just wondering. I didn't think you were that type of person, promise."

I deflated a bit, but didn't forgive him completely. "I've got songs for happiness, for celebration. Ones for relaxation, lullabies. I can help bolster courage, give a little more confidence. And Mother even taught me a few blessings for weddings, to bless a couple against the coming trials in their marriage."

"You are-"

But what I was, I never found out, because just as Gwaine turned to face me fully, a sword appeared over my shoulder, aimed directly at him, though against my throat. "If I were you, I wouldn't move," came a dry, rasping voice I instantly recognized. One that drew a scream from me before I was even cognizant of it.

 **AN: Sorry it's taken me so long to update this! And yes, I'm leaving this as a cliffie, but I will try to not leave you all hanging for too long. Thanks for reading, following, and favoriting, and a big thanks to KayJane16, CrystalVixen93, parimalik, and guest for your reviews. And KayJane, you gave me the loveliest compliment saying you felt like you were watching the show. That's the highest compliment a fanfic writer could get!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The sharp edge of the sword pressing against my throat cut off my scream rather efficiently. "Now, Anna, there's no need for that," Seth's voice hissed next to my ear as he wrapped an arm around my waist. "We're all friends here."

From the forest came a band of twenty or so armed thugs. Lot's men didn't deserve the title of soldiers, as none of them possessed a scrap of honor. They surrounded us, and I could see Gwaine's eyes flitting from one to the next, assessing them for any possibility of attack. But I knew that he was unarmed, and against twenty armed men, even one of Camelot's greatest knights didn't have a chance. "Please don't do anything stupid, Gwaine," I pleaded, even for the terror running through me.

"Yes, Gwaine, don't do anything stupid," Seth mocked. "We'd hate to see you hurt over this little trifle." He then nuzzled his face in my hair, inhaling deeply. I shuddered, squeezing my eyes shut as tears started trickling down my face. "Though she is so very delicious. Did you know, Anna, that Lot has promised all of us, his closest companions, their own time with you? After your marriage, of course, but still. We'll each get our own taste of Anna, so to speak, as a little reward for bringing you to him."

"Over my dead body," Gwaine growled, stalking toward us.

Seth laughed, sending more and more shudders of revulsion down my spine. "Well, that shouldn't be terribly hard," he said, shoving me to the ground to meet Gwaine.

Who suddenly had a sword in his hand. "You forget, mate, that I've got a warlock on my side," he said, nearly decapitating Seth with his first blow.

Suddenly, my friends were fighting Lot's men, taking two and three a piece. "Anna, time to go," Merlin said, tugging me up as he threw a fireball at the two largest thugs. "Get to Mother and Gwen," he ordered, shoving me in the direction of our picnic.

I ran, headless of branches or roots in my way. I simply ran, while my mind supplied its own images from the stories I'd heard of Lot's first five wives. His first, killed for trying to run away from the horrors he put her through. The second, killed herself after discovering she was pregnant with his child. The third, killed by her own father for trying to get away from Lot. The fourth, starved for daring to question his methods of ruling. And the fifth, a mere girl of fourteen, killed by his brutal "affections". Terror tore at my mind as I remembered the tales of maids being forced first to his rooms, then from them, bloody and sobbing. Or dead.

Arms caught at me, and I struck out, fighting to break free. "Anna! Anna darling, you're safe! It's Hunith. Hunith and Gwen."

Hunith's voice broke through my madness slowly. But as soon as I recognized my friends, I started babbling. "Please. You can't! Please, don't let them! You can't let them take me!"

"No one is going to take you anywhere, darling," Hunith soothed, running her hands down my arms in an attempt to calm me down.

"Arthur and the boys will take care of them all," Gwen promised. She smoothed my hair back from my face and smiled gently. "They won't take you from us."

Both women continued to gently ease me back into a normal breathing pattern, though I eventually noticed that Gwen was holding a sword in the hand she wasn't running through my hair. And Hunith kept a rather grim eye on our surroundings, even for our guards around us.

Soon enough, crashing through the underbrush came Seth, causing my heart to take residence in my throat once more. Until I realized that he was bound, gagged, and unconscious, and followed by my friends with a few more tied up ruffians. "He won't be bothering you anymore, Anna," Percival said, promise ringing through his quiet words.

"None of them will," Leon added, smiling softly to me.

"Especially since the rest are dead," Gwaine added, with a vicious kick to the unconscious Seth's ribs.

I stared at them all in astonishment. They had all promised to keep my safe, but I had never thought that they would go to such lengths for me. "You did this, for me?"

Bewildered, the six men looked to me in confusion. Then, comprehension dawning, Arthur dropped to one knee in front of me, taking my hand in his. "Anna, as King of Camelot, I pledge my life and all my power to keep you from those who wish to harm you."

His words rang through the little clearing with power, and I was awestruck to see the flash of gold in his eyes. But I barely had time to comprehend it all when Merlin was kneeling next to him, jostling him a bit out of the way. "Anna, I pledge my life and my magic to keep you from those who wish you harm."

Gwaine was next, kneeling before Merlin even finished his words, and nearly ripping my hand from him. "I swear that as long as there is breath in my body, I will hunt down any who try to harm you, Anna."

Leon took my other hand, as he was kneeling on the other side of Arthur. "I swear, as a Knight of Camelot, that you are safe from all those who wish you harm."

Percival and Elyan each knelt behind the others, as there was no more room directly in front of me. "I will protect you as I do my own sister," Elyan swore.

"No one will hurt you again," Percival promised.

I looked to the six men in front of me, incredibly awed. "I think it's safe to say that you're well protected, my dear," Hunith said, slipping her arm around my waist.

"Not to mention, well cared for," Gwen added, hugging me on the other side.

After such an intense display of loyalty and love, all aimed in my direction, not to mention the overwhelming terror I'd felt with the attempted abduction, there was really only one response for me. I burst into tears.

The men instantly looked distinctly uncomfortable, while Hunith and Gwen simply wrapped me more tightly in their arms. "Please, don't cry, Anna," Leon said after a long moment, sounding a bit desperate.

"Yeah, I can't stab tears," Gwaine added, causing me to laugh amidst my tears.

"Thank you all, so much," I told them, wiping my face. "I just can't quite believe that you would do that for me."

"We promised you'd be safe here in Camelot," Arthur replied.

"But do you think it'd be alright if we all stood now?" Merlin said, grinning up at me. "It's getting a bit uncomfortable kneeling like this. And nobody wants to be this close to Arthur when he's all sweaty."

His comment got the reaction he wanted as we all laughed, while Arthur shoved him. The guards helped my friends gather the prisoners, then we all mounted our horses to go home. "I appreciate your playing, Anna," Arthur started as we rode through the forest again. "But I think we should be back in the castle next time. And perhaps give the guards something to plug their ears with."

I grimaced, a bit embarrassed. "I forgot to… aim my song, I suppose. I forgot they would be listening. But I promise it won't happen again."

A few moments later, Gwaine asked, "How did you lot know to come? You were all asleep."

"Anna's scream had a magical resonance to it, a bit like her song," Merlin explained. "We all could feel her terror and woke up instantly."

"I am so sorry you had to feel that." I was horrified, not to mention further embarrassed.

"I'm not," Gwaine said emphatically. "If they hadn't, they might not have woken up and come to save you. And me," he added, seemingly as an afterthought.

…

As soon as we got back to the castle, Arthur ordered the court to assemble. "We have an execution to attend to," he boomed, and the pages scurried to obey.

Once Gaius and the lords making up the King's Council arrived in the throne room, as well as various curious nobles, the trial began. "You four men stand here after an attempt to abduct Lady Annaliese," Arthur stated, looking down at the prisoners forced to kneel on the hard marble floor. "You, by your own admission, were sent here by King Lot, to bring Lady Annaliese to him in order to force her to marry him, without her consent. You also threatened her with terrible, unspeakable things after said marriage. You then were interrupted by myself and my knights. You four were kept alive to send a message to Lot, and to the world. Camelot and all those who reside in her borders are protected, be they noble or peasant, man, woman, or child. I will not allow anyone to harm my subjects, and I will bring swift justice to those who try to do so."

A resounding silence swept over the room as we all looked to our king in awe. For one brief, shining moment, I could understand why his family had been given the name of Pendragon: he looked like a great dragon, ready to defend what was his to his last breath. And as the afternoon sun streamed through the windows and down upon him, I pitied those who tried to defy him.

"Do you have any last words?" he then asked the prisoners.

Seth raised his head defiantly, and Arthur nodded to Gwaine to remove his gag. "King Lot will come again for his little trinket," he promised, smirking darkly at me. "He wants her land, and her in his bed. He will never stop coming for her, not until he gets what he wants."

"He can try," Arthur replied, even as Gwaine punched Seth hard in the face. "The four of you will be hanged at sunset. Guards, take them to the dungeons to await their execution."

"He's right, you know," I said softly, but it was enough for Arthur to hear me from the other side of Gwen. "Seth is, was Lot's right hand man. And he wants me. He will take this as a grave offence. I can't let you do this for me."

"I've already sworn to protect you, Anna," he said kindly. "And besides, what sort of message would that send to Lot if I let his men invade my kingdom and abduct my queen's closest friend? I can't do it, and I won't do it. You mean too much to us all."

Nodding, I bit my lip to keep the tears at bay. "Thank you, Sire," I said, curtseying deeply.

He nodded once in recognition. "I protect my own, always," he said quietly, only meant for those of us closest to him. "And you are part of us now."

"Whether you like it or not," Gwaine added with a cheeky grin. "Now, I do believe that we have an execution to prepare for. I think I need to change. This doesn't quite say 'Good riddance, you miserable swine'."

"No, it says more 'I need to take a bath'," Merlin quipped readily.

Feigning offence, Gwaine said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just in a fight to save a beautiful maiden. And where were you? Oh, that's right. Using magic like a nancy boy while the rest of us men fought with swords."

"If it weren't for my magic, you never would have survived that fight. And I don't have to rely on brute strength to fight a bunch of thugs."

"That's because you don't have any brute strength," Percival added, with his usual quiet perfect timing.

"And I'm fairly certain that I'm the one who saved the beautiful maiden," Elyan butted in.

"Come along, my dears," Gwen said to me and Hunith. "They'll be brawling soon enough, and we don't need to see that."

…

At sunset, we gathered once more in the courtyard. No one, other than me, wore dark colors, in stark contrast to their usual attire for an execution. It was a clear message, one that I wasn't entirely sure they had collaborated on. "You don't have to be here," Gwen told me quietly.

"Yes, I do," I replied, as the executioner led the prisoners to the gallows. "I'm the reason they'll be executed."

"No, you're not," Merlin argued viciously. "They followed the orders of a greedy, power thirsty king of their own volition, and this is the end result of that action."

"Nameless subjects of King Lot," Arthur announced, "you are to be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May you find peace in the next life, however unworthy you may be."

The gags were not removed for any of the men as they were led to their nooses. Seth caught my eye, and I was powerless to look away until he fell through the trapdoor.

Arthur led us all back inside once the men were dead. Surprisingly enough, none of us felt hungry, and we all went our separate ways. I wandered listlessly, trailed as always by my guards, finally ending up in my room. I tried to read, I tried to sew, I tried to play, but every time I closed my eyes, I was reminded of the horrors of my day.

A knock at the door revealed Merlin with a comforting smile. "Gaius sent me with a potion to help you sleep," he said, jiggling the bottle in his hand.

"Bless you both," I breathed, moving to let him in.

I put the bottle on my bedside table, then took a seat next to Merlin in my window. "I can't thank you boys enough," I told him, putting my head on his shoulder as I had always done as a child.

He wrapped his arm around me, kissing my head, just as he had always done. "I will always come for you, Anna. And besides, we owed you a bit for that song you played for us."

I huffed a soft laugh. "A paltry trick compared to what you did."

We sat in silence, simply enjoying one another's company for a bit. Until I remembered something. "Arthur used magic today. When he swore to protect me. I saw his eyes flash gold."

Merlin smiled. "He's done that a few times since becoming king. He doesn't realize it, of course, and I think it would probably worry him if he did. But it happens when he swears things as a King, like when he took the crown, and when he married Gwen. My favorite was when he brought back magic and swore that its use would never be punished, only the actions taken with it."

I was awestruck. "Why- How-?"

"I think Magic knew that he would be a good king, the greatest king Albion has ever seen," he explained. "And in proving himself worthy of that title, Magic has accepted him as its own."

"You think, or you know, My Lord Grand Sorcerer?" I teased lightly.

His fingers quickly found their way to my ribs, digging in mercilessly for a long moment. "I think, and Kilgarrah agrees with me," he said finally.

"It's so odd to think of you regularly speaking with a dragon," I said, cuddling back into his shoulder. "I think a bit of me still thinks of you as the gangly boy I grew up with."

"And a bit of me will always think of you as the tiny little girl who used to follow me everywhere," he assured.

We spoke long into the night until neither could hold back the yawns. "Goodnight, Anna," he said, kissing my forehead. "Sleep well."

"I will, once I take that potion you brought with me," I grinned tiredly at him. "And thank you, Merlin."

Slipping into a thin night gown, I downed the potion, smiling at the sweet taste. I knew that Gaius took special care to make the potions taste better for me and Gwen, especially since the boys all complained of their horrid taste. I got into bed quickly, as I knew how fast-acting his potions typically were, I was nearly asleep when I had a sudden thought. If Magic had accepted Arthur as its own, that explained why his eyes had glowed. But why had Gwaine's?

 **AN: I totally had not planned on getting this to you so quickly, but that's what happens when you get off work early and have plenty of inspiration. So this hopefully makes up for the cliffie, even though I'm leaving you with another one, albeit tiny. Thanks for reading, and a big thanks to CrystalVixen93 for reviewing the last chapter already!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The next month or so found at least one of the boys finding some excuse to be with me nearly at all times. It was endearing, as well as a bit stifling, but I almost didn't mind, if it meant I was safe. Leon even made a few changes to my guards, making sure that the best knights were always around me. "We're never going to let Lot take you," he promised me.

But Leon soon had other things on his mind. Two days before Midsummer, a rider, an older man with more grey than brown in his hair, came tearing into the courtyard, bearing the Cavendish family crest. "I need to speak with Sir Leon!" he cried to the guards.

Gwen and I were on our way to the stables for a morning ride, but we quickly adjusted our destination. "Sir Leon is in the training grounds. We can show you the way," she told the man.

"My Queen," he gasped a bit, eyes widening as he dropped a quick but low bow. "I'm sure one of the guards can lead me there. It's not necessary-"

"Nonsense," she quickly said, cutting off his protestation. "Lady Anna and I were on our way ourselves to observe our knights. Come along."

The man most definitely did not believe her, as we quite obviously were heading in the other direction, but he was wise enough to say nothing about it. He introduced himself as Martin when asked, but otherwise offered nothing. Even when Gwen asked after Leon's family, he declined. "I must inform Sir Leon before anyone else, Your Majesty." That, of course, piqued our curiosity, but we kept it to ourselves.

Activity on the training grounds slowly halted around us as we headed for Arthur and Leon. Both men smiled when they saw us, but Leon's faltered when he saw who accompanied us. "Martin, what is it? What happened?" he asked, hurrying toward us, Arthur on his heels.

"My lord, my king," Martin started, bowing to Arthur. "I'm afraid I've come with terrible news." He looked around, noticing that the other knights on the field had all stopped what they were doing and were now crowding closer to their beloved leader.

Arthur noticed this, as well. "Back to work, you lazies!" he barked, but there was no heat in his words. It was swallowed up in concern for his friend.

The rest of the knights hastily began practicing again, with the exception of Gwaine and Percival. They merely stepped closer to Leon in silent support.

"What is it, Martin?" Leon asked again, concern and worry bleeding out into his every word.

"It's your brother, my lord," the man said finally. "Lord Owen Cavendish had an accident coming home from the village three nights ago. He finally passed this morning. I'm terribly sorry, my lord."

Whatever Leon had been expecting, that clearly was not it. His face ashen, he swayed, Arthur and Gwaine keeping him upright. "Owen… is dead?" he whispered.

Martin nodded. "Yes, my lord. As he only had daughters, you are now Lord of Cavendish. And as Lady Cavendish has also passed, you are also guardian of their three daughters."

This appeared too much for Leon, as his shoulders further slumped. It was nearly painful to see the normally strong man seem so suddenly weak. "Why don't we continue this business inside?" I suggested, going to Leon's side and gently pushing Arthur out of the way. "I'm sure Martin's horse has been taken care of, but you must be fatigued from such a swift journey."

"Yes, we'll have a meal prepared for you," Gwen said, followed the thread I'd begun. She planned aloud to keep the attention on her, leaving me and Gwaine with Leon.

"Come along, mate," Gwaine said gently, considerately.

I slipped my arm through Leon's elbow and began walking. To anyone looking on, it would have appeared that he was being a gentleman and accompanying me, not that I was guiding the unseeing man back into the castle.

Gwen led us all into her sitting room. "We'll have some food sent in for you, Martin," she told the man, who nodded gratefully. "And we'll leave you two to discuss what you need in privacy," she added, neatly shooing the rest of us out of the room with merely a pointed look.

After sending a passing page to the kitchens for food, we found ourselves at a loss as to how we could help Leon. But there was nothing more for us to do, at least until he came out and told us what he needed.

"Do you think he'll stay here, in Camelot?" Arthur asked softly, after several long, uncomfortable moments of silence from all of us. "If that's what he-"

"No, Arthur, I'll stay here," Leon assured grimly, coming out of the sitting room with Martin. "I'll bring the girls here, if that's alright with you?" he added, pleading with Gwen with his eyes.

"Of course!" she immediately responded. "We can have several rooms arranged for you all to be close together."

"Thank you." He managed a smile, one that didn't convince anyone. "Martin, once you've rested, will you head home and prepare for my arrival?"

"Of course, my lord. I'll leave at once," the man said firmly, then bowed to Arthur and Gwen before exiting quickly the way we'd come.

Arthur, Gwaine, and Percival, now assured that their friend was somewhat alright, all made hasty exits, with Arthur dragging Gwen along, as well. "Would you care for a walk, my lord?" I asked, teasing gently.

"I'd like that," he replied, a small, real smile lifting his lips for just a moment.

We walked to the battlements in peaceful silence as I kept my arm through his, just to help remind him that he was not alone. My guards trailed behind us, close enough for safety, yet far enough for privacy. As we stood up above the castle, looking at those below us, I couldn't help but remember my own brother's death. For a moment, the grief came rushing back, feeling as new as the day I lost him.

"I adored Owen, as a small child," Leon suddenly said. "He was my idol, my hero, being that he was a good five years older than me. He could do no wrong in my eyes, and I wanted to be just like him. My mother saw it, and she sat me down one day. I was probably only four years old at the time, but she said, 'Leon, I love your brother very much, as he is my child, but I never want you to be like him.' Of course, I was shocked. How could she not want me to be just like him? She went on to explain that Owen was a bully. He took whatever he wanted, did whatever he wanted, as he was going to be the lord of the manor one day. And Father let him, encouraged him, even, saying that he was learning his place in the world. But Mother did not want that for me."

He let out a sigh, dropping his head to look at the parapet beneath his hands. "I soon started seeing what Mother meant, and I vowed that I would never become like him. I started telling him off, trying to get him to see the error of his ways. Obviously, Owen didn't like that, and I became his newest target. That's how I got to be so good with a sword," he said, a little self-deprecating laugh flavoring his words. "He was far too lazy to regularly practice, so I quickly was able to defend myself when he would occasionally take a swing at me. And then I could beat him, so he found new ways of beating me. If I had my eye on a particular horse, he would ask Father for it first. He killed my hunting dog in an 'accident'. And then, when I was fifteen, I fell in love."

I knew what was coming next. In an attempt to comfort him, I wrapped my arms around his. Leon looked to me with a sad smile. "Elaine was the daughter of the sheriff, and she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. She had hair the exact color of ripened wheat, and eyes like the summer sky. And she was intelligent, and fiery, and loved proving me wrong. I told a friend that I planned on asking her father for her hand, and Owen happened to overhear. As she was beautiful, and he wanted to ruin my happiness, he asked her father first. When I went to ask him, Owen was there with the ugliest smirk on his face. And what could her father do? He'd already promised Elaine to Owen, and he couldn't go back on his word, not to the future lord of the manor. And he was sensible. I was the second son. I'd inherit nothing when Father died, and the whole village knew I planned on becoming a knight. Not many truly believed that I could make it, so I can't blame him."

After a moment, I hugged his arm closer. "What did you do?" I asked softly.

Leon laughed bitterly. "What was there for me to do? I came to Camelot the next day. I've only been home seven or eight times since. I couldn't bear seeing Elaine so miserable, bearing Owen's children. It was like a knife to the heart each time."

"And what happened to your lady?" I asked gently, remembering that Martin had said she'd passed.

"She died in childbirth, almost two years ago now," he said softly, painfully. "Elaine was ill towards the end of her pregnancy, and Alis came early, very early. We almost lost the baby, as well, but with her very last breaths, Elaine kissed her forehead and named her, giving her a blessing. With magic that I didn't know she knew. And Alis has been healthy ever since."

…

None of us wanted Leon to go through the funeral by himself, so the next morning he was a bit surprised to see so many horses prepared and waiting in the courtyard. "If you think we weren't planning on going with you, mate, you don't know us very well," Elyan told him as he helped me onto my horse.

"We're a family," Hunith declared firmly. "And we take care of our own." And that was all there was to say about the matter. Leon simply smiled slightly and mounted his own horse, leading the way to his childhood home.

It wasn't a long journey, only about half a day's ride, so we arrived in the village shortly after midday. Once there, though, our progress slowed immensely. It seemed that every inhabitant of the village wanted to greet Leon, welcoming him back home. And most were awed by Arthur, Gwen, and Merlin, and to a lesser extent, the rest of us. "It's such an honor to meet you, my Lady," a woman, who looked about Hunith's age, gushed to me. "We've heard so much about you lot," a man, who happened to be even larger than Percival, told Elyan. "You've kept our kingdom safe, and for that, we owe you more than you could ever know," a tiny elderly lady said to Gwaine. Then she added, "And it helps that you're so pretty." Gwaine looked as though he wasn't sure if he should preen or run away. It was terribly difficult not to laugh at him.

We finally made it through the walls of Leon's family's manor, just to see a tiny blonde projectile racing for him. "Unca Lion!" the projectile screamed, barely managing to avoid being flattened by his horse. Leon, to his credit, kept control of his horse, apparently used to this projectile's behavior. He quickly dismounted, then gathered the girl into his arms, cuddling her for a bit. Then, without warning, he threw her into the air. My heart leapt into my throat, preventing any sound that might have tried to come out, but the little girl just laughed. "Gain, Unca Lion! Gain!" Leon, to his everlasting credit, obliged. Three more times, in fact.

After we were all assured that the little girl was in no danger, and that Leon hadn't suddenly lost his mind, we all dismounted from our horses and handed them off to the waiting servants. "Well, 'Uncle Lion'," Arthur grinned at his friend, "are you planning on introducing us to this lovely lady?"

Leon turned to us with a smile, his niece still in his arms, though he did manage to avoid eye contact with all of us. "Everyone, this is my niece, Boudicca. Boudicca, these are my friends. Can you say hello to them?"

"Hello!" she chirped happily.

"Uncle Leon!" The call had us all looking to the door of the manor, out of which came flying another blonde projectile. This one was a bit older, and she was carrying yet another blonde child. "You're here! You're here!"

Leon impressed me when he crouched to catch the new additions, managing to hold all three girls without dropping any of them. "And how is my lady Godiva today?" he asked, nuzzling the older girl's cheek with his nose.

"I'm so happy you're here!" she squealed. "Alys is, too!" The baby giggled happily, grabbing chunks of Leon's hair.

"Well, I am very glad to be here, as well," he grinned back at them. "Now, would you ladies like to meet my friends?"

Suddenly, three pairs of identical sparkling blue eyes turned on our group, with varying interest. Then, as Godiva noticed Arthur and Gwen, she whispered to Leon, though at a volume that was nearly the same as her speaking voice, "That's th' king and queen, Uncle Leon."

"It is," he whispered back. "Would you like to meet them?"

With eyes the size of my horse's hooves, she nodded solemnly. So, with considerable skill, Leon lowered the two older girls to the ground before taking Alys from her sister. Together, they walked the tiny distance to Arthur and Gwen. "My king, my queen," he said, full of grave importance, "may I introduce you to my nieces, the ladies Godiva, Boudicca, and Alys?" The two oldest then curtsied quite well for their ages, even if Boudicca's was rather wobbly.

Gwen and Arthur nodded just as gravely, though I could see the twinkle in Gwen's eyes and Arthur's smile he was barely concealing. "It is a pleasure to meet such beautiful ladies," Arthur said.

"Yes, you ladies will make all the women in Camelot green with envy," Gwen added.

"Why would they be green? Are they sick?" Godiva asked, eyebrows drawn in confusion and worry.

That made the rest of us laugh. "It's just a saying, little one," Leon assured. "Now, we have a few more people to get to know." He introduced each of us, and the girls curtsied some more. They were rather pleased when I curtsied back. But their interest in me faded when they realized that the person standing next to me was Merlin.

"Can you magic?" Boudicca asked him, eyes gleaming in excitement.

Instead of answering, Merlin cupped his hands in front of his mouth, whispering for a long moment. When he opened them, a vibrant butterfly flew from them, lighting on Boudicca's hair briefly, before flying away. And I was sure that was the moment she fell in love.

All during the tour Godiva insisted on, Boudicca rested on Merlin's shoulders, turning his head with his ears, just like a horse with reins. Godiva was in front of our little group, showing all the best features of the house with pride. I somehow ended up with Alys in my arms, the tiny girl focused on my curls for a long time. "Pwetty," she finally declared, patting my head with authority.

"Yes, she is, isn't she, Alys?" Gwaine asked, sending me a sly grin.

"Thank you, Alys," I told the girl, while ignoring the man. "I think you're very pretty, as well."

"Ays pwetty," she said with a definitive nod, patting her own head just as she had done mine.

By dinner time, it was clear we were all besotted with the girls. Hunith was bouncing Alys on her knee, while Merlin was entertaining her sisters with a lovely story, complete with magical effects. "If you hadn't already planned on taking them back with us to Camelot," I told Leon lowly, "I would have kidnapped them and brought them, anyway."

"They do have that effect on people," he agreed with a grin. "Or, rather, people other than their own father. He couldn't have been bothered with them," he added, sighing.

"Well, now they have you, and all of us. They'll never want for love again," I assured firmly.

 **AN: I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update. Between some medical problems and major writer's block, I really haven't been writing very much. But I promise I'm not abandoning Anna! We've got a long way to go, but I promise to stick with her, and I hope you all will, too! Thanks for reading, and a special thanks to those of you who favorited or followed. And a huge thanks to parimalik, KayJane16, PurpleReader29, and MagicIsPowerDearie for your reviews! Reviews make my little writer heart happy!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

No one seemed terribly saddened at Lord Owen's funeral. In fact, Alys slept through it on my shoulder. Once it was over, we walked back to the chapel, where Leon took his lordly oaths, swearing to uphold his king's will, protect his people, and do right by them. "Now, if only more of the nobles actually did what they swore to do," Gwaine murmured in my ear.

"If they did, you'd be out of a job, Sir," I whispered back. He simply grinned back at me.

The villagers had a feast that night. It was apparently tradition, to celebrate a new lord, though I had a sneaking suspicion that the one for Owen had not been nearly as large, nor as jubilant. It seemed as if the entire village had to press their lips to Leon's hand, some of them multiple times. There were even a few young women, and one or two not so young women, who tried to _impress_ him, but he didn't seem to notice them. Though, Gwaine and even Elyan were quick to comfort the pour lambs, so I was fairly certain they weren't permanently crushed. But no, the only females Leon seemed interested in were his three nieces, who continued to be charming and utterly adorable. In fact, they even gave Leon an excuse to leave the festivities early. Alys quite literally fell asleep into her tiny bowl of pudding, despite her most valiant efforts to stay awake. "And I think that's my cue to excuse myself and my family," Leon laughed. "I thank you all for your warm welcome, and once again, I swear to you all that I will do my utmost to protect, provide, and defend this beautiful piece of the kingdom I'm rather pleased to call home."

That earned a roar of satisfaction to rip through the crowd. Leon smiled, collected his girls, and headed back to the manor house with a wave. Hunith went with, as she'd taken over the role of nursemaid until Leon could find a suitable one. And Gwen and Arthur followed a little while later, as Gwen said she was rather tired. That left me with four gentlemen, and a few of the villagers had started some music. "You know, Arthur's knights are supposed to be these paragons of genteel manners, and yet, here I sit, a poor lady with not a soul to dance with," I sighed dramatically.

I garnered laughter from my friends, just as I'd aimed for, and Merlin jumped up. "My lady," he said, bowing so lowly it would have put Lord Godwin to shame. "Would you do me the great honor, nay, the great pleasure of dancing with me?"

"I would be most delighted, My Lord Grand Sorcerer," I said, with every ounce of nobility I'd ever had channeled into the words. I took his hand and stood, and we both instantly burst into laughter.

I did manage to get all of my friends to dance. After all, there were plenty of pretty girls in the village, and they were all terribly keen on the attractive knights. And several of the men asked me to dance with them. As it was country dancing, it was far less refined than that of the court, and far more entertaining. After being tossed around exuberantly by the butcher, a massive man larger than even Percival, I breathlessly sat for a much-needed respite.

"It must be so tough being the belle of the ball." Gwaine's teasing voice in my ear caused a smile to creep onto my face, even as I turned to face him.

"You would know," I teased back. "After all, I've seen you receiving your share of batted eyelashes."

"That would be what I'm trying to avoid. A few of them have a bit more than a nice night of flirtation on their minds," he replied, shuddering a bit.

"It's so difficult to have a pretty face." I managed to say it with a straight face, but his cocky posturing made me break.

Gwaine continued, sweeping his hair dramatically away from his face. "It is difficult. Finally, someone actually understands me!" His theatrics continued, soon drawing Merlin over.

"Is this dollop head bothering you, Anna?" Merlin asked, slipping his arm protectively around my shoulders, all the while frowning comically at Gwaine.

I smiled mischievously up at him. "Gwaine is always bothering me, but we must be kind to the simple ones."

Merlin's laughter nearly drowned out Gwaine's offended "Oi!" But it wasn't long before he, too, was laughing. "Did I tell you about the time when I bewitched Arthur? Well, it wasn't the first time, certainly wasn't the last, but I had to use magic on him to get him to leave Camelot. It was when Agravaine betrayed him to Morgana, and they overtook the city. I had to use a spell that temporarily made him forget who he was. It also made him forget quite a lot of other things. We met some smugglers who helped us, and they were utterly convinced that Arthur was rather touched. It took far too much effort for me not to laugh at nearly everything he did while the spell lasted."

I was nearly in tears by the end of his story. "Do tell more," I begged. "I love your stories!" And so, we spent the rest of the evening by the fire, with Merlin, and then Gwaine, regaling me with some of their more entertaining antics. They tried to outdo each other with more outrageous stories, usually showing the other in a rather ridiculous light. Percival and Elyan eventually joined us, often correcting the stories when they got a bit too fantastical.

As the stories were fat too entertaining, it was quite late when we all headed back to Leon's home and then on to bed. And it was far too early when Hunith shook me awake the next morning. "It's time to be up, my darling," she sang, then unleashed three giggling girls into my room. It was truly a devious plan, as there was no way I'd be able to resist, or to be upset for any real length of time.

Leon left Martin as his steward, allowing him to continue in the everyday management of the manor and lands. "But if you need anything, I'll come as quickly as I can," he assured the entire household.

"Just take care o' yerself an' those little 'uns," the cook, who looked to be older than Gaius, told him with a grin. "We'll take care o' the rest."

As Godiva and Boudicca hadn't yet had much experience riding, and Alys was yet far too little, the girls rode double. Hunith made a snug little pouch to hold Alys, who snuggled in and immediately fell asleep against her chest. And Gwen and I claimed the two older girls immediately. "We're far smaller than you men, and it will tire our horses far less to have added weight," Gwen reasoned regally.

"And I adore them both," I added with a grin.

Leon shook his head and helped me on my horse, handing me Boudicca after I was settled. "You be good for Lady Anna," he gently told his niece. "Listen to what she says, alright?"

"A course, Unca Lion. I'm a good girl," she said, defiant scolding in her tone.

It was very good that she couldn't see my face, as her words instantly brought a grin to it. "Yes, Unca Lion, she is a very good girl," I teased him, all the while hugging the adorable girl tighter to me.

He simply shook his head, kissed her gently, then headed to his own horse. "Now, Boudicca, would you like to learn how to ride a horse?" I asked her quietly. "I mean, to be able to tell it what you want it to do? Daffodil is an excellent horse to learn on."

So, for most of the ride back to Camelot, I instructed her on how to hold the reins, firmly but not too tightly so as to avoid hurting the horse's mouth. Gwen did the same for Godiva. "We'll have to talk to your uncle about finding your girls ponies to practice on," I told them. "You're both doing magnificently!"

Gwen agreed. "I think you are both born horsewomen."

"I not a horsewoman!" Boudicca argued. "I jus' a girl, not a horse!"

Gwen and I both laughed for a good long while before we could explain what it meant. But once she understood, Boudicca nodded. "Unca Lion! I a horsewoman!"

That caused our entire party to smile. "That you are, my darling," Leon agreed readily.

Once back at Camelot, we easily fell into a new routine that included the girls. In fact, it seemed more that the girls fit themselves into our already established routines with hardly any changes needed. Gwen, Hunith, and I claimed the girls for much of the day, in what Godiva called "Lady Lessons". We taught them to read and write, as well as sewing, riding, and dancing, as age appropriate, of course. They even charmed Gaius, who began to teach them simple medicine, herbs, and magic. And I began to teach Godiva to play the flute, with the promise that once she mastered the basics of playing, I would add in magic.

Most evenings were spent either in Gwen's sitting room or Arthur's study, with all of us gathered together for supper. Leon would listen with rapt attention as his girls told him all about their day, then they would pester him for stories about his day with the knights. Percival showed a surprising talent for storytelling, that Merlin would embellish with his magic. It was idyllic. A part of me had been broken at Father's death and being forced out of our home. It had further broken with Will's death, then Mother's, even with Merlin leaving Ealdor. But I realized, as I sat with a sleeping Alys in my arms, watching Godiva and Boudicca reenacting some amusing part of their day for the men who'd missed it, I felt more whole than I had in years.

"What's wrong?"

Gwaine's whispered words at my shoulder pulled me from my introspection. My brow furrowed in confusion, and he answered my wordlessly asked question. "You're crying," he said, gently brushing tears I hadn't even known I'd shed from my cheeks.

"Nothing is wrong," I assured him, smiling to keep further tears from spilling. "I'm happy. Far happier than I can remember being in a very long time."

Understanding dawned. "Having a home, a family, is rather nice," he agreed.

I nodded. "I can't help but feel that this was always supposed to be. As if destiny knew exactly what we would all go through, so she gave us each other to help soothe the aches she would also give us."

Slowly, Gwaine smiled. "I like that, very much," he murmured. Then, his smile became more of a smirk. "And of course, destiny would have to be a woman. No man could ever be that capricious."

My short laugh startled Alys, causing her to stir before settling back down. "You be quiet, Sir Gwaine, otherwise I will deposit a very cranky lady on your lap."

"I could think of worse things than having a beautiful lady in my lap," he said, gaze suddenly intense on me.

It became very difficult for me to breathe all at once. My stomach twisted and flopped, and my heart pounded along with it. Gwaine was always flirtatious, but it had never caused quite this reaction from me before. I didn't quite know what it meant.

"Leon wants to put Alys down now." Merlin's sudden appearance was a rather welcome distraction, one that I took with gladness.

"Then I should take her to him," I said, standing up quickly, but careful not to wake the tiny girl in my arms.

I transferred Alys to her uncle, who seemed slightly confused, then I allowed Boudicca to climb into my lap as she demanded I braid her hair, which I did, over and over again happily, if it meant I was able to ignore Gwaine for the rest of the evening.

 **AN: Ugh. I apologize for not updating for so long. November had me crazy busy with NaNo, and then once December hit, I couldn't stand the thought of writing for far too long. Even with just needing to edit, I still couldn't do it. So sorry, my lovelies! But here's a Christmas present for you, and I hope the girls being adorable is enough to make it up to you! Thanks to all of you who follow and favorite, and a big thanks to KayJane16 for your lovely review!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Anna, would you like to walk with me for a bit?"

I looked up from supervising Godiva in braiding her sister's hair to see Merlin standing next to me, rocking back onto his heels several times. He flushed a bit when he realized just what he was doing. "Of course," I grinned up at him. "Godiva, you're doing beautifully. Keep practicing."

She nodded, her little tongue caught between her teeth in concentration. I grinned up at Merlin, but I was a bit surprised when he failed to smile back. And he was uncharacteristically silent as we made our way past the garden, far enough away from the others so as not to be overheard, but still in sight. And, as always, trailed by my guards, who stayed a respectful distance away.

"Merlin, what's wrong?" I asked, reaching out to him. "You're worrying me."

He looked at my hand on his sleeve for long enough to make me uncomfortable, so I snatched it back, feeling a bit scorned. Then, he looked at me searchingly, like I might have some deep secret hidden in my face.

"Do you love me?"

His blurted question shocked me. And caused more discomfort. "I beg your pardon?"

"Are you in love with me, Anna?" Merlin's insistence was odd, and not like him at all.

"What on earth ever gave you that idea?" I huffed. Then, without waiting for an answer, I gathered my skirts to sweep around him. "I've got three little girls who would like my attention. Excuse me."

"People in the castle have been saying I've strung you along." Merlin stopped me in my tracks. "They've been saying that I've toyed with your affections, that spending so much time with you will have gotten your hopes up for something that will never happen. Are they right, Anna? I never wanted to hurt you."

The sincerity in his words caused my ire to fail. "You haven't, my friend," I said, slowly turning back to face him. "Once upon a time, I fancied myself in love with you, even probably as late as only a few months ago. But now… Now, I know that was merely a little girl setting her sights on the only boy in the village who treated her with anything resembling respect. Aside from Will, of course. So, no, Merlin, you've not toyed with my feelings in any manner."

"Oh," he said, sighing with obvious relief. "Not that you're not a lovely girl," he was quick to follow up with. "In fact, I almost fancied myself in love with you, when you first arrived here in Camelot."

"Well, it is completely understandable," I said seriously. I even managed to hold onto that for nearly half a minute. But once Merlin started laughing, I couldn't stop myself.

We laughed for a long moment, actually ending up sitting on the grass next to each other. "And just when did you realize that you weren't in love with me?" I asked, leaning my head onto his shoulder.

"When Gwen asked me what my intentions were with you, only half an hour ago," Merlin answered ruefully. "And it made me realize that while I do care for you, love you, even, I'm not in love with you. I've been in love before, and it's not like what we have. You're more the sister I never wanted."

He shot a grin my way, but it didn't distract me like he had so clearly hoped. "You were in love before? What was she like?"

Merlin's smile turned soft, wistful. "Her name was Freya, and she was the gentlest soul I've ever met."

We spent the next several hours that way, simply sitting next to one another, while he told me about the love of his life. He spoke of the smallest things, like the way her hands were so small, both of them fit neatly in one of his. Or how her ears had the slightest point to them. And how simply the sound of her voice was enough to calm any fear or worry that he had.

"She's waiting for me, in Avalon," he said, smiling slightly. "As is my father, and Will, and your parents. All those we've loved and lost in this life wait for us there. And I can sometimes feel them with me, when I've needed them most."

"Tell me," I requested, secretly loving that he was absentmindedly weaving grass into a wreath as he spoke. "Tell me about your father."

And he did. He told me about the few days he'd spent with him, and all he'd learned of him from Kilgarrah and Gaius. He shared stories that Hunith had told him about their short time together, and when she would tell him that some little trait of his reminded her of his father. And I just listened, letting him unburden himself, just the slightest.

When we finally went back to the castle, we found our friends in the gardens. "When's the wedding?" was the first thing out of Gwen's mouth once Merlin and I joined them.

"There won't be one, as you very well knew," I told her saucily.

"One can never know the secret thoughts of others," she declared primly, though I did catch a secretly pleased smile lingering around her lips.

"Says the woman who knows exactly what I'm thinking at nearly all times of the day," Arthur scoffed.

She grinned up at him. "That's because you don't count as 'others'. You're my husband. It's part of my job to know what you're thinking."

"It's not terribly hard to know what Arthur's thinking, anyway," Merlin jested. "Gwen, food, sword. That's it."

"And, when was the last time I had Merlin flogged for insubordination?" the king was quick to throw back.

"I'm surprised he managed such a long word," Gwaine added in.

"Well, we all know what you've got on the mind, Gwaine," I tossed his way.

"And what might that be?" he asked me, a challenging gleam lighting his eyes.

"Anna," Godiva said happily.

"Yes, my girl?" I was rather confused, thinking she was calling my name. But she shook her head.

"No, silly, Gwaine thinks about you!"

"Well, you're not wrong," the man in question laughed, then picked the little girl up. "But I think of all the lovely ladies of my acquaintance, and that happens to include three beautiful brown haired, blue eyed ladies who promised to share a story with us. Would you tell us now?"

Godiva grinned and nodded, taking center stage while she, with Boudicca's help, told a very complex story of how they fought a dragon in the gardens that day, but they managed to tame him and send him on his way, with a promise that he would never return to harm the people of Camelot. Leon leaned over to whisper to me that it was merely a sand lizard, though a rather large one.

"I'm quite impressed with you ladies," Merlin said, causing Boudicca's infatuation to grow visibly. "You handled that dragon with great dignity. I will have to spread the word that all dragons are to listen to you three from now on."

"And they'll hafta listen, righ', Merlin?" Boudicca gushed. "'Cause you're in charge of them?"

"Exactly," he grinned down at her.

All three girls cheered, though Alys only because her sisters did.

Our happy moment was broken by Erik, the littlest page in the castle. "Your Majesties, there's a messenger who needs to speak with you. It's urgent. He's from Queen Annis, Your Majesties."

Hilda, the girls' nurse, was right behind him. "I'll take these lovely ladies for you, milord," she told Leon cheerfully, scooping Alys up. "We'll have some supper, and then I might just have a surprise for you girls."

The girls taken care of meant that we adults could see to the messenger, as we were the king and queen's most trusted advisors. I couldn't help the little thrill of pride that ran through me at that thought. "It's quite the thought to be so trusted by the best king and queen in the land, isn't it?" Gwaine whispered to me, threading my arm through his.

I stared at him in shock. How on earth could he possibly have known that was what I was thinking.

He chuckled, still leading me after the others. "We've all had that moment, love. That moment of awe, and pride, and a touch of 'What were they thinking?' It's not hard to recognize it, after all these years."

Queen Annis's messenger was waiting for us in the council chambers, where Arthur preferred to meet with the messengers of his allies. As opposed to his glittering throne room for those… not so allied with his vision. "Your Majesties," the man said, falling into a bow. Falling, for the poor man seemed nearly ready to drop from exhaustion.

"You've come from Annis," Arthur said, worry bleeding from his every word. "What's wrong? Has Caerleon been attacked?"

"No, Your Majesty," the man replied, gratefully accepting the chair Gwen indicated for him. "It's the Queen. She's dying, with only days left to live."

 **AN: I know it's been forever. I apologize so much! Work's been crazy, and I was really struggling with how Merlin would deal with figuring out his feelings for Anna. But I got over that hump, so hopefully, I'll be able to write more. Thanks to all of you who've stuck with me and Anna, especially those who follow and favorite. And reviews always make my day!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Annis… is dying?" Arthur seemed as though he simply couldn't wrap his mind around the thought. "She can't be."

"She is, Your Majesty. Her physician can do nothing more for her," the messenger said.

"Bors is a good physician," Gaius affirmed. "If he says there is nothing, for the queen he has so faithfully served, then there is indeed nothing to be done."

Arthur's head dropped, and Gwen immediately was at his side, comforting him. He wrapped an arm around her, kissing her hair, before turning back to the messenger. "What can Camelot do to aid Caerleon at this time?"

The messenger smiled briefly, gratefully. "Queen Annis has requested you come to her side. She has need of your help in choosing a successor for the throne of Caerleon."

"I'm hardly qualified, as I know none of Caerleon's people, but as she requests, so I will do. We will leave in the morning."

"I'm coming with you." Gwen's words left no room for discussion, but her husband smiled, as if he had anticipated nothing less.

"And where the queen goes, so do I," I declared, hastily adding a respectful curtsey. "If it pleases you, Your Majesties."

Gwen grinned, while the men chuckled. "As if I could endure the trip without you," she told me. "I couldn't bear to be alone with these louts for that long." Several more chuckles ensued, as did a few false outraged cries.

"Hunith, you are welcome to join us, as well," Arthur invited.

But our mother simply smiled and shook her head. "This will be a much longer trip than simply to Sir Leon's home, and far swifter," she said. "I am much too old for that. Gaius and I can stay here and keep an eye on the girls."

"And we'll make sure that Camelot is still standing for you when you get back," Gaius added, his mischievous streak barely peaking through his normal gruff.

"Then, we'll leave at dawn," Arthur said. "Get some sleep, for this will not be an easy journey."

"Food will be sent to each of your chambers," Gwen instructed. "And we'll eat on the road in the morning. And you, good messenger, a room will be ready for you shortly. Eat, and rest. You've done your queen a great service to come so far so quickly."

Adorably, the man flushed a bit. "I was- I was merely doing my duty, Your Majesty."

"And you did it well," she said, utterly oblivious to the effect she had on him. Even when he blushed harder, and backed out of the room, missing the door by nearly a foot and bumping into the wall.

"You, my love, are far too beautiful," Arthur said, fully wrapping his arms around his wife, now that it was just us friends. "And far too kind."

"I simply offered him a place to sleep," she protested, like this was a common argument the two of them had.

"We should all go now, before they decide to solve their argument by kissing," Elyan announced loudly, causing his sister to hit him.

…

Our horses were ready for us the next morning, just as the grey of night began to fade into morning. A full contingent of knights waited, as well, since, as Hunith had said, it was more than a simple trip to Leon's home. Annis's messenger, whose name we learned to be Gregor, anxiously shifted on his horse as we all mounted. Arthur shared a few words with his chamberlain and the captain of the guard, then we were off.

We rode through town at a canter, since it was still too early for many people to be out. And the few that were out heard us coming with plenty of time to get out of the way. Once past the city wall, the scouts gave their horses their head, while the rest of us were barely behind them. We rode hard for several hours, until we hit the forest, where we were forced to slow considerably.

Gregor rode next to me, while my guards rode in front and behind. I could see his anxiety on his face to get back to Caerleon. "Do you know Queen Annis well?" I asked him, partly because I was curious, and partly because I was bored. After all, a knight's back isn't the most exciting view.

"I've known her all my life," he replied with a smile. "She was my mother's dearest friend. My mother died when I was a child, so the Queen always treated me like her own child. King Caerleon was also kind to me."

"I'm so sorry. This must be terrible for you! How did you leave her at a time like this?"

He smiled again, somewhat ruefully this time. "I didn't want to, but my Queen asked me, so I went."

I was struck by his loyalty, the same kind Arthur's knights displayed. "It would appear that all good kings and queens inspire greatness in their people," I replied.

"I wouldn't say that there is greatness in me," Gregor objected. "But I do love my Queen, and any good thing that comes from that, I attribute to her."

Gregor and I talked more, which helped pass the time immensely. It seemed like no time at all that we were stopping for a brief luncheon just outside the forest, then it was back on the road

After several hours back on our horses, the first scouts came back to our group. "Lord Ryence has graciously offered his manor for our benefit," Arthur announced. "We will stay the night there. It is only a few more hours, then we shall have rest, my friends."

I was rather grateful to hear that, as I wasn't entirely used to being on horseback all day. But, as I was the one to insist on coming, I wasn't about to utter one word of complaint.

We arrived at Lord Ryence's manor just as the sun finished setting. What little light we still had illuminated a large building, though nowhere near as grand as Leon's home. A portly man and two women stood directly in front of the open door, silhouetted by the light spilling out. "Welcome, Your Majesties," the man said.

He had only spoken three words, and none of them to me, but I instantly disliked him. It may have been the oily tone of his voice, or the way his eyes glided over first Gwen's body, then mine, but somehow, I knew the man wasn't to be trusted. And once he spoke again, I knew why.

"These are my daughters, Lynette and Lyonesse," he said, introducing the two women, who looked much younger than I had first thought. But the way he backhandedly introduced them, not even bothering to look at which one he was gesturing to, set my teeth on edge.

Arthur introduced the rest of us as Gwaine helped me from my horse. Again, Ryence's eyes raked over me, but I wasn't the only one to notice this time. Gwaine kept my hand, threading it through his arm as he glared at the lord. The other man failed to notice my friend's look, as he was still leering at me.

"I'm afraid, here at Ravenscroft, we are not sufficiently large enough to bed all of your party, Your Majesty," he continued, talking to Arthur, though his eyes kept flicking my way. The rest of my friends had noticed by now, as Elyan, Merlin, and Percival closed ranks around me. A dagger slipped into my hand, though I wasn't sure who exactly had done the slipping.

"The Lady Anna can share our room, Father, that way more of the men can sleep inside," the younger of the two girls spoke up.

His face soured for a moment, before he smiled again, wide and without any sincerity behind it. "Of course, my dear, what a good idea."

Ryence led the way inside, where the scent of roasting deer welcomed us far better than the man had. My boys surrounded me still as we ate, keeping the greasy lord as far away from me as possible. Arthur was especially solicitous to Gwen, making sure she had everything she needed without having to move from her seat next to me.

As it had been a long day on horseback, I was nearly asleep by the end of the rather grand meal. Gwen actually dozed off, but only for a brief moment. Arthur noticed immediately and stood. "I thank you again for your generosity, Lord Ryence, but, as we must be on our way very early in the morning, I must beg you excuse me and my queen. Lady Annalise will most probably be ready for sleep, as well."

"We can show them the way, Father," Lyonesse, the younger daughter, said before her father even had a chance to respond.

"Thank you, daughter," he said, smile brittle.

Both girls got up to show us to our chambers, and almost instantly, the rest of our party stood. "I must beg off, as well," Merlin said quickly. The other boys murmured platitudes of equal exhaustion, and our host visibly drooped.

"I had entertainment planned," he whined. Rather like a spoiled little boy being told no.

"I am terribly sorry, my Lord," Gwen appeased. "Perhaps we could stay an extra day on our way back to Camelot."

By his incredibly pleased smile, that suited him just fine, and I wanted to strangle Gwen. I wasn't exactly sure why I didn't trust the man, but I knew I wanted to spend as little time as possible near him.

Lynette, the older daughter, showed me to the room she shared with her sister, while Lyonesse showed Gwen and Arthur to theirs. I tried to chat with the quiet younger lady, but the only thing I learned before her sister returned was that she was a year younger than me.

The door flew open to show Lyonesse running in. She shut the door behind her, then shouted in a whisper. "It's going to happen, Lynette. He's doing it! He's planning it as the entertainment for the king's return."

Lynette's already pale face whitened further. "There's nothing for it, love," she said, trying to keep a brave face for her sister. "It'll be alright. You'll see."

"He's a beast!" Lyonesse argued. It was as if they had forgotten I was there. "You can't possibly marry him!"

"If I don't marry him, Father will give you to him," Lynette said firmly, even for the fear written plainly on her face.

"I know it's none of my business," I butted in, "but perhaps I can help."

Both girls looked at me, suddenly reminded that they had a small audience. "It's nothing, my Lady," Lynette started, but Lyonesse wouldn't have it.

"She might be able to help."

"If Father wants to marry me off to someone, there's nothing she can do!"

"I might not be in a position to help personally, but I do happen to be Queen Guinevere's closest confidant. Tell me the problem, and I will go to their Majesties. They will not leave one of their subjects in a miserable position," I assured.

Lynette didn't seem convinced, but Lyonesse started speaking before her sister could tell her no. The story spilled out quickly, and with some confusion, but I eventually understood. Lord Ryence wanted an alliance with a neighboring lord, Cador, who seemed like he'd be good friends with Lot. Ryence decided to marry his still somewhat young daughter to the other man, though he hadn't told the girls. "I'm rather good at listening to conversations," Lyonesse said with sly pride. Lynette clearly didn't want to marry the man, as he was known to be quite cruel. "And she doesn't love him, anyway," Lyonesse stated defiantly. But if Lynette refused to marry Cador, their father would no doubt force Lyonesse to do so, to punish both girls as much as to keep the alliance.

I assured the girls that neither would be marrying anyone they didn't want to and went to speak with Gwen and Arthur. My faithful guards, waiting at my door, were a bit surprised that I was leaving so late at night, but came with me when I explained I needed to speak with our King and queen.

I was admitted to Gwen and Arthur's chamber quickly, though admittedly with quite a bit of confusion. "What is it, Anna?" Gwen asked, sleep warring with worry.

"I'm so sorry to bother you this late at night, but this can't wait."

I had a very captive audience as I related everything the girls had shared with me. "And you believe them?" Arthur asked, not in disbelief, but rather for confirmation.

"I do," I said, nodding firmly. "They were utterly terrified, even for trying to hide it."

Arthur shared a look with his wife, and she nodded. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention," he told me. "We will find a solution before morning. Tell the girls it will be handled."

"And tell them that no matter what happens, try not to look surprised," Gwen added seriously.

"We won't fail them." Arthur wore his wholly serious, kingly face, letting me know the problem would be solved.

The girls were anxiously awaiting my return, and I didn't hesitate to tell them not to worry. Lyonesse immediately wrapped her arms around me, laughing happily with glee. Lynette, however, simply sat on her bed, tears streaming down her face. "They will protect us?" she asked softly.

"Without hesitation," I replied swiftly. "You never have to worry about any unwanted marriage, ever again."

 **AN: Ugh. I know it's been forever since the last chapter. I've barely been able to keep my head above water with all my various projects going on, not to mention real life. And dead muses. I will complete this story, I promise. Just please be patient with me! Thanks for staying with us, and a big thanks to any and all who follow, favorite, or review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Two very anxious young ladies accompanied me to the dining hall the next morning. Lynette sighed, deeply and often, while Lyonesse could not seem to stop fidgeting. Until we joined my friends and their father. Then, spines straightened, hands went to their sides, and smiles were affixed.

"Ah, just the ladies we were waiting for," Merlin grinned. "Gwaine might have perished if he had to wait any longer for your company."

"Though that's because we couldn't eat before the ladies arrived," Elyan added, mischief gleaming in his dark eyes.

"I may be hungry for food, but far more for the company of such beautiful ladies," Gwaine defended himself, bowing gallantly to us. Lynette and Lyonesse each blushed, but I simply laughed at my friend.

"I could hear your stomach from across the room. Do sit so we can all eat."

Gwaine feigned a hurt expression, but even he couldn't pretend for long. "You've caught me out, my lady. Now may I escort you to the table, so we can eat?"

The moment I sat, my friends crowded in around me, not letting Lord Ryence come anywhere near me. He looked a bit put out, but I didn't care. The man was far worse than I'd originally thought, if he was willing to all but sell his own daughter.

"Lord Ryence, I compliment you on your beautiful home, and especially your gracious daughters," Arthur began, holding his goblet out toward our host. "You've clearly raised them well, as evidenced by their offer last night."

"Yes, it was quite gracious of them to offer their chambers to Lady Anna," the slimy man grinned back.

"Yes, that was terribly kind of them, but that's not what we were meaning," Gwen corrected, slightly emphasizing the we. It showed that she and Arthur were of one accord in their reign. "We were speaking of their offer to become my ladies in waiting."

"They- what?" The normally charming, or attempting to be, man gaped at the queen as if she'd suggested he dance naked.

"They came and offered to serve the queen last night," Arthur said, a politely puzzled look on his face.

"They can't." Ryence seemed at last to regain his faculties. "Lynette is to marry Lord Cador. In fact, their wedding is to take place when you return. She is promised to him, Your Majesty."

"Did the lady know this?" Gwen asked, visibly angry now. And an angry Gwen was never a good sign.

"Uh, no, Your Majesty," he said, squirming under her fiery gaze. "But I have sworn with an oath to Cador."

"It is an honorable thing to keep your oath," Arthur began thoughtfully. Ryence clearly thought he'd won by the jubilant look he wore, but it was crushed with Arthur's next words. "But your daughters also have their own honor, their own oaths to consider. Would you have them relinquish their own honor to save yours? Would you have them disappoint my queen to save your pride?"

It became terribly hard to maintain a straight face as Ryence squirmed more in front of Their Majesties. In the end, there really was nothing he could do. "Of course not, Your Majesty. My girls will serve Her Majesty faithfully."

"Until death release me or you do, Your Majesty," Lynette said, standing to curtsey lowly in front of Gwen.

"With all my heart, Your Majesty," Lyonesse added, curtseying next to her sister.

Gwen smiled, dimpling adorably. "You girls will become my closest companions, along with Lady Anna. And we will make sure that they are protected at all times, my Lord. You've raised them well and brought honor to yourself by honoring their vows."

The man could say nothing, simply bowed to the queen.

We left shortly thereafter, with the promise that the girls would be ready to join us on our return trip. Both curtseyed to Arthur and Gwen, then hugged me. "Thank you," Lynette whispered to me.

"I'll see you soon," I assured, squeezing her hand.

The rest of the trip to Caerleon was far more uneventful than the beginning. By the time we arrived, I was nearly convinced that my backside would become permanently adhered to the saddle. Until Merlin slipped me a potion to help with the stiffness. "You couldn't have given me this earlier?" I whined, tossing back the contents of the tiny vial as we passed through the gates of the city.

"You never asked for it," he quipped back, a cheeky grin aimed my way. "But I thought you would like being a tad more graceful in front of a queen than you were last night."

"You utter cad! A gentleman would never mention something like that to a lady," I hissed, feigning offence at his mention of my near tumble as I had dismounted the night before.

"This one's never claimed to be a gentleman," Elyan butted in. "But hopefully you won't fall off your horse today, Anna."

"Ignore the brutes, Anna," Gwen told me. "We'll see who's laughing when we're in the nice comfortable carriage on the way home, and they're all stuck on horseback."

I laughed, but it was cut short when I saw the faces of the people around me. It was clear the townspeople were mourning the queen, and it felt wrong to have such a levity in front of them.

Gregor led us to the castle, where two men waited for us. "Thank you for coming, King Arthur," the shorter, younger of the two said. "We welcome you and your company to Caerleon. I am Simon, Queen Annis's chamberlain. This is Bors, her physician," he introduced the other man, who looked nearly as old as Gaius.

Arthur quickly introduced us all as he assisted Gwen down from her horse. "Might we see Annis now?" he asked hastily.

Simon smiled, as if that was what he had hoped for. "She is waiting for you and your queen. Bors will take you, and I will take your friends to a sitting room."

Gregor accompanied us to what Simon referred to as the Rose Sitting Room, close to the Queen's bedchamber. "Why don't you go to see her?" I asked him quietly. "Clearly you wish to see her after your travels."

"She wishes to speak to Their Majesties in private," he corrected. "I will see her later, if she wishes."

A pretty maid brought us refreshments, but all the boys were simply too tired to even notice. Even for these seasoned knights, it had been a demanding journey, and we all sat quietly, enjoying a soft seat and some chilled wine.

I had settled into a hazy sort of half-sleep by the time Arthur and Gwen joined us an hour later.

"Arthur, what's wrong?" Merlin cried, jumping to his feet. Gwen's arm was around her husband, seeming to support him somewhat, and both looked horribly rattled.

"Annis, she wants- she wants me to be King," Arthur said, looking pale and uncertain. "Of Caerleon."

"You are a brilliant King," I stated, feeling that my friend could use a bit of encouragement.

"Of Camelot, maybe, but of Caerleon? I'm not sure I can manage that, too," he replied.

"Queen Annis believes you can," Gregor said quietly. "And there is simply no one else, Sire. Her Majesty never had children, and King Caerleon had no siblings. There is no one left in the royal family. None of the grand noble families could sustain the throne; there would be too much infighting. But we've all seen the changes you've made in Camelot. We all know you're a great king, a noble king. We will rally behind your strength, Sire. We will serve you as we have our beloved Queen."

Gregor bowed lowly and excused himself, presumably to visit with his queen. "I can't say it any better than he just did, but I agree with him, Princess," Gwaine said. "You're a bloody good king, and you'll be good for the people of Caerleon, just as you have been for Camelot."

…

Two days later, Her Majesty, Queen Annis crowned Arthur King of Caerleon herself, in front of any and all of her subjects who chose to witness. "With this crown, you take upon yourself all the responsibilities and duties of King," she told him. "You must learn to love my people as you do your own."

"I will," Arthur pledged, eyes flashing gold for a moment. That seemed to please her, and she smiled as she lifted the crown onto the kneeling King before her. "Rise, Arthur, King of Camelot and Caerleon, and may you never forget your duty."

The people cheered for their new king, but there was a solemnity to it. It seemed that at least most were pleased to have a young, healthy king, but they already mourned their beloved queen, who had served them so faithfully for so many years.

"My people," she said to them, straining for them to hear. "My dear, most loved people, you have a new king now. Look to him, for guidance, for protection, and for an example. He will not lead you astray, for his wife will not allow it," she added, a tiny smile gracing her mouth. "But most importantly, love him and serve him as you did my husband, as you have me for so long."

"Aye," Gregor said, kneeling before Arthur. The rest of the court, and then those beyond, followed suit, kneeling before their new king.

…

The crowning ceremony used up what little strength Annis had left. She passed that night, peacefully in her sleep, while those who loved her most kept watch. Gregor announced it to us soon after, as we were gathered together in the Rose Sitting Room once more.

"My Lady Annis has passed," he said quietly, after a long moment to gather himself. "She has rejoined those she loved in Avalon."

Annis was laid in all her splendor in the front hall of the castle. Merlin used his magic to preserve her, and for the next week, her people flocked to pay their last respects to their much-loved queen.

On the seventh day after her passing, Arthur gathered everyone together on the shore of the sea. Nearly the entire kingdom came, to respect the old queen and to see what the new king would do.

"My people," he began, then shook his head. "You are not my people. Not yet. I have not proven myself to you, not proven myself worthy of your trust, therefore I cannot call you my people yet. You are Annis's people, and you have come to honor her. She was a wise leader, and I hope to one day earn the trust that she placed in me where you are concerned. But for now, let us remember her, and honor her memory."

He handed the bow to Gregor, who shook his head. "Sire, you should be the one to do it. You're her successor."

"But you are the son she never had," Arthur replied, still holding the bow out to the other man.

Gregor finally took it, then nodded to the men standing beside the queen's pier. They shoved off, releasing her to the water. Once she was a fair distance, Gregor lit the arrow, took aim, and released. His aim was true, and soon the magnificent pier was aflame, a fitting ending for such a fierce and loyal queen.

 **AN: I'm so sorry, you guys! I finished this forever ago but forgot to post it! I'm so sorry! But here you go, the end of Annis and the beginning of a united Albion. I hope you enjoy, even if it is a somber chapter, and I hope you forgive me for forgetting for so long! Thanks for reading and following, and a big thanks to KayJane16 for your review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Arthur seemed a bit inundated by all that was required to organize his new court. But one of the very first things he did eased everything that followed. "Your Majesty, I simply cannot accept this," Gregor protested. "I'm not-"

"You know this court, this kingdom better than anyone else living," Arthur interrupted. "And when I suggested to Queen Annis that I make you Lord Steward, she eagerly agreed."

"I think she secretly had planned on it," Gwen added, a gentle, understanding smile on her lips.

Annis's promotion seemed to quiet most of Gregor's protests, even if he did seem slightly ill at ease, unused to so much attention and deference aimed his way. But, as the days flew by, he slipped into his role naturally, giving me the feeling that Annis had quietly been grooming him for the position for quite a while.

After nearly a month of getting to know this new court, Arthur declared that we would be leaving the next morning for Camelot. "Good people of Caerleon, it has been my distinct honor to come to know you as I have this past month," he began, facing all the nobles who had come to the feast. "You have been welcoming to myself and my queen, as well as our friends accompanying us. I look forward to working with you in the future, to the betterment of Caerleon, and to Camelot as a whole. Now, eat up!"

As Gwen wasn't feeling well, though she hid it with ease, I stayed by her side while Arthur spoke to his new subjects. A few more daring men had approached us, but their enthusiasm dimmed when I didn't respond to their flirtations. None of them held my attention, and I felt the need to stay with my friend.

It was, however, vastly entertaining to watch the single ladies of the court flirting desperately with our knights. It was as if each lady suddenly remembered that we were leaving the next morning, and each one had hopes of being swept off her feet and brought to Camelot. None of them seemed to be succeeding, though the boys all enjoyed the attention. Even Merlin and Percival, the shyest around the fairer sex, preened a bit, albeit awkwardly.

"Gwaine had better watch out for that one," Gwen murmured to me, indicating the lady who had somehow managed to monopolize Gwaine's attention for quite a while. "I think she's trying to get him drunk."

I watched for a few moments, but when I saw the woman gesture for yet another cup for my friend, I stood. "I think I'll go have a conversation with her," I told Gwen, who grinned up at me.

"Just be nice," she teased.

"I can't promise that."

As I walked across the great hall, people obscured my sight of Gwaine and the girl. It didn't help that several stopped me to talk, and I had to pretend to be polite, when really, I wanted to scream. Who knew what that girl could do to my friend?

I caught sight of them just at the door. She seemed to be holding him up, supporting his weight as they careened toward the exit. "Aw, Sir Gwaine, I was hoping to find you," I said loudly, forcing lightness into my tone that I most assuredly did not feel.

"Anna," he sighed, grinning happily at me. His whole body lurched toward me, but the girl kept a surprisingly tight hold on him.

"Lady Anna, Sir Gwaine is feeling a bit under the weather," she simpered. "I'll take him to his chamber to sleep it off. There's no need for you to worry."

"But as he's my friend, I do worry," I argued. "Why don't we call Sir Percival to take Sir Gwaine? It wouldn't be seemly for a lady to do so."

The girl's smile twisted, but there was nothing she could do to further argue, especially as I held the higher rank. "I'll help Gwaine, while you go find Sir Percival," I further instructed.

With a grimace, she transferred him to me, then turned back to the crowd without another word. Gwaine happily wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling my cheek with his nose. "I think she got me drunk, Anna," he sighed into my ear.

"I think you're right," I replied, sighing as well and trying to ignore the scent of wine on his breath.

"No, I think she put something in my cup," he said insistently. It was a bit at odds with his happy tone, but something made me turn to look at him. "I only had three cups of wine," he continued, a bit of anger creeping out. "Very watered wine."

Even as we spoke, Gwaine straightened a bit, pulling his head from my shoulder. Though he didn't release me from his hold. "She put something in my wine, Anna," he said, utterly serious now. He then cursed, bringing a hand to his head. "Whatever it was, I think it's trying to kill me now."

I stared at him in frozen horror for a moment, until a passing servant caught my eye. "Get Merlin," I ordered him. "Bring him to us outside these doors."

The boy immediately sprang to obey, and I guided Gwaine through the doors. He leaned heavily on me, causing me to curse my tiny height. "Come along, Sir Giant," I gently teased, leading him toward a bench along the wall.

Gwaine groaned a chuckle. "It's not my fault you're the size of a pixie," he gasped out.

We made it to the bench, and we both sort of collapsed onto it. His arm was still around my shoulders, making it easier for him to bury his head in my neck as another groan made itself known. "I feel as if a very small person is kicking around inside my head," he mumbled.

I slipped my hands into his hair, rubbing lightly at his scalp. "Merlin will be here soon, and he'll know what to do," I promised, feeling terribly helpless.

Several long moments passed while we waited for Merlin. I continued to rub Gwaine's head, but I wasn't even sure if it helped. A mixture of fury and panic swirled around inside me, but I tried to keep it hidden, for Gwaine's sake.

Merlin arrived, with Leon on his heels. "What happened, Anna?" he asked me, worry seeping through his serious mask.

"Some… lady," I spat the word, "put something in Gwaine's drinks. I don't know what it was. He was acting drunk for a moment, but now-"

"Now it feels as if a small dwarf is trying to mine inside my skull," Gwaine moaned, pulling back to squint at Merlin for a moment, before burrowing back into my neck.

"Who was it?" Merlin asked anxiously. "I need to find out what she put into his drink, need to know how to counter it."

"She's wearing a violet-colored dress, has hair about my color, just a bit taller than me," I replied.

"Not as pretty as you," Gwaine assured quietly. So quietly that I was sure the others hadn't heard.

Leon frowned. "I know who it was. I thought she was merely flirting with Gwaine, but now… I'll get her. You two help Gwaine up to Merlin's chambers, and I'll meet you there."

Between Merlin and me, we managed to drag Gwaine up the flight of stairs and into Merlin's rooms. We got him settled onto the bed, but he latched onto me, not letting me stand up fully. "Don't leave me, Anna," he pleaded jokingly, but I could see the sincerity in his eyes. "What you were doing earlier helped."

How could I turn him down after that? So, I settled next to him again, letting him wrap himself around me, and began to stroke his head once more. He groaned in relief, resting his head on my shoulder.

It wasn't long before Leon arrived, pulling the so-called lady behind him. "Now, tell Merlin what you put in Gwaine's drink," he growled, shutting the door behind him. And shutting the girl in with all of us.

"It's not going to hurt him," she pouted defiantly, then gasped when Gwaine straightened to glare at her.

"I feel like a fairy is kicking around inside my head, with knives attached to her every limb," he spat, then allowed me to tug him back to my shoulder.

"It wasn't supposed to hurt him," she babbled, hands flitting nervously now. "It was just supposed to make him relaxed, not do this!"

"Make him relaxed so you could do what?" I screeched, then lowered my tone when I felt Gwaine flinching. "What was your plan after that?"

"I just wanted to marry a knight!" she cried, stamping her foot. "Camelot's knights are famed throughout Albion for their good looks and riches. I just wanted one for myself!"

"I might kill her," I ground out, wanting to strangle the girl. She poisoned my friend so she could trap him into marrying her, and now she dares to act like she's the injured party?

"After we figure out what she gave Gwaine," Merlin reminded. "Now, what did you give Sir Gwaine?"

The girl fished out a vial from the front of her bodice, handing it to Merlin shakily. She told him about where she got it, but I ignored them once Gwaine started shaking. I wrapped him in blankets as best I could, but as he still wouldn't let me go, it was awkward at best. "Merlin, please tell me you know how to help him," I pleaded, looking at my friend hopefully.

"I think so," he replied, spreading his herbs across the table to find just the right ones. He furiously mixed and cut and strained, until he had a thick, gloopy brown concoction he was holding under Gwaine's nose. "It won't taste pleasant, but it will help," he assured.

"If it'll stop the mad fairy in my head, cheers," Gwaine said, tipping the cup into his mouth. He downed it all in one go, grimacing at the taste.

We all waited breathlessly for a moment to see if it worked. His pain-soaked grimace eased, then he straightened a bit. "Thanks, mate," he smiled at Merlin. And then keeled over, taking me with him.

"Merlin!" I cried anxiously, trying to disentangle myself. "What happened?"

"It's alright," Merlin promised. "He'll sleep off the rest of the effects of the potion and be his normal cheerful, annoying self in the morning."

A soft snore escaped Gwaine, almost as if he were assuring me of Merlin's words. I felt myself breathe a sigh of relief, then kissed his cheek softly. "You'd better wake up in the morning, prat," I whispered, before wriggling out of his arms. After I was upright once more, I glared at the girl. "Now, I think it's time to speak to Arthur." It was incredibly satisfying to see her pale at that.

 **AN: I know it's been forever, but my muse has kinda curled up and died, for everything. But here's a new chapter, and I hope you like it! I wasn't planning on anything that happened in this chapter, but I go where my characters lead. Thanks for reading, and a big thanks to those of you who've reviewed!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

My guards had caught up with us, and so they fetched Arthur and Gwen, along with Gregor and the father of the girl who'd nearly killed Gwaine. Leon, Merlin, and I all kept a rather watchful eye on the girl until they arrived, making sure she couldn't squiggle out of what she had coming. All listened to the tale, taking time to listen to both sides, as was only fair, but the girl clearly didn't help her own case, blubbering on about wanting a knight for her own. Her father, Lord Owen, seemed rather close to tears himself, but more from frustration and anger than anything else.

"How could you do this to our family?" he hissed at her. That finally got her to shut up. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then turned back to the Arthur. "I am terribly sorry that this happened, Your Majesty, especially to one of your own most trusted knights. My daughter will accept any such punishment as you deem just."

Arthur looked to him rather impassively, then to Gwen. What followed was one of their silent conversations. "Lord Gregor, you are the Lord Steward of Caerleon. I will leave judgement in your hands, as this falls under your jurisdiction," he finally announced, pulling a tiny smile from his wife.

"But Your Majesty, I can't-" Gregor started, then paused as both royals nodded, rather regally. "Of course, Your Majesty, as you wish."

He was silent for a moment, but not still. He paced back and forth from his place in front of the door, eyes taking in each member and their part in the story. At last, he stopped, pulled himself to his considerable height, and folded his hands behind his back. "Lady Tinsley of Arroway, you have been found guilty of poisoning a knight of the realm, with the intent to trap him into matrimony. As you are not yet of age, and show only selfish rather than malicious intent, I hereby banish you from the courts of Caerleon for the space of one year and one day." She gasped dramatically, as if he'd sentenced her to death. "If you are gone from these halls before morning light, no one else need know of your indiscretions. However, if you have not removed your personage before sun up, the entire court will know of it via a proclamation to be read in every town square. Do you understand?"

"We do, Your Grace, and thank you for your leniency," Lord Owen said quickly, glaring at his daughter when she squawked to disagree. "We will be gone before morning light, and we will also send reparations to Sir Gwaine at Camelot. Excuse us, Your Grace, Your Majesties," he added with a very abbreviated bow to the room in general, pulling his daughter from the room.

Once the door shut, Gwen beamed at Gregor. "You did splendidly, my lord."

"Yes, Gregor, you did well," Arthur added. "It was a just and fair punishment, taking in motive but not disregarding action. I believe I am leaving Caerleon in just the right hands."

"Thank you, Your Majesties," the man replied, sighing heavily. "I hadn't thought much about that portion of the job when I accepted. Otherwise, I might not have."

The men laughed and Gwen smiled. I may have smiled, as well, but only very briefly. "Lady Anna, are you alright?" Gregor asked me. "Are you… displeased with my verdict?"

I shook my head quickly. "Only because I wanted to pull the girl's hair out," I assured him. "No, you were fair. And I am glad you'll be the one doing the judging, because I wouldn't be able to see past my own dislike of a person to be as fair as they deserve."

The men laughed again, but Gwen gave me a knowing look. "Well, my love," she told Arthur, "it's time we went to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Anna, why don't you walk with us?"

"If it's alright with Merlin, I'll stay here to help him look after Gwaine. The oaf isn't a very good patient," I said quickly, not liking that knowing look, but not knowing why.

"That's fine. If you're here, perhaps he'll be less of a prat when he wakes," Merlin agreed with a grin.

It took a few moments, but everyone else filed out after saying goodnight. My lovely guards brought several rather fluffy looking pallets for both of us to sleep on, along with plenty of blankets. Merlin checked on Gwaine and made sure he had several potions ready, "Just in case," he assured me. Then, we each snuggled down.

But I wasn't quite ready to sleep just yet. "How bad could it have been if you hadn't gotten to him in time?" I asked quietly.

His hesitancy to answer nearly answered for me, but he finally said, "It doesn't matter now."

"He could have died, you mean." The words landed, cold, in the pit of my stomach.

"But he didn't," Merlin reminded. "And he'll be just fine by morning. Well enough for us to still begin for home. He might have to ride in the carriage with you and Gwen, though."

"Oh, goddess save us from that," I laughed.

"He'll be fine, Anna, I promise."

And he was. When we woke Gwaine the next morning, he told us the dancing fairy in his head had been polite enough to put down her knives, a vast improvement from the night before. But his eyes were still rather sensitive to the light, so Merlin proclaimed he would ride in the carriage. He accepted with easy grace, even after the other knights teased him for it. "I would far rather ride inside with the two beautiful ladies than ride around your ugly mugs," he announced, shutting them up rather quickly.

As it turned out, both of my travelling companions were feeling under the weather. So, after convincing Gwen to lay down in the seat facing me and Gwaine to lay his head in my lap, I pulled out my flute from the satchel and began to play, minding the flow of the magic. My song wrapped around them, comforting them and allowing them to sleep more. Even after both had begun gently snoring, I still continued to play. I wanted to let them get the rest they needed, in the hopes that they would feel better once they woke.

"Thank you, Anna," Arthur said, bending to look into the window of the carriage. "Gwen's not felt well for several weeks now, not been sleeping well. Hopefully, once we get back home, Gaius will have something more to help her."

"I'm sure he will," I smiled back. "Now, shall I play something a little more lively for you men?"

"It won't wake her, them, will it?" he asked, concern crinkling the corners of his eyes.

"Absolutely not," I assured.

"Then, by all means, Anna, and thank you."

…

We stopped for the midday meal, though Gwen insisted I walk with her before we eat. "Thank you for playing," she told me, squeezing my arm she'd threaded through her own. "I feel better, though I do desperately want to stretch my legs now."

"If my playing helps you at all, then I'll play until I run out of breath," I promised.

"There's no need for that, at least not yet," she laughed.

We walked quite a ways, our guards faithfully surrounding us and keeping watch. And then we found a delightful little brook, happily babbling its way through the trees. Since it was such an unseasonably warm day, Gwen mischievously suggested we take our shoes off and refresh ourselves. And if the Queen of Camelot and her lady in waiting ended up splashing one another rather soundly, there wasn't anyone around who would care about the lack of decorum. We happily grinned at each other as we put our shoes back on.

"Gwen!"

"Anna!"

Our heads shot up when we heard our names called, from back in the direction we'd come from.

"Anna, where are you?"

"Gwen!"

I'd never heard Arthur sound so anguished, or Gwaine sound so worried. Without real thought, I ran back to the others, Gwen right beside me.

"Anna!" I caught sight of Gwaine, his face lightening when he saw me, though he didn't stop running until he very nearly crashed into me. "Anna, you're safe," he gasped, wrapping his arms around me and burying his face into my neck.

I hugged him back, carding my fingers through his slightly damp hair. "Of course, I'm safe. What is it?" I asked, looking to Gwen to see Arthur similarly wrapped around her, while she had just as puzzled a look on her face as I was sure I did.

"Lot's men," Gwaine gasped, his breathe tickling my neck. Though the shivers that zinged down my spine were not the good kind. "They attacked, wanting you, and I just- I was so afraid they'd taken you."

"I'm alright," I assured quietly, heart in my throat. "We didn't even see anyone. I'm alright."

The others arrived, and I could see the evidence of the battle they'd fought. Percival's arm was bleeding, Elyan limped, and Leon had a nasty looking cut on his head. That made me worry about Gwaine, since I couldn't see much of him, close as he was to me. "Are you alright?" I asked, nearly panicked now.

"'M fine," he mumbled, resisting my efforts to raise his head from my neck. "Swear."

Knowing he wouldn't swear it if he was hurt, I gave up, going back to carding his curls through my fingers. "Is everyone else alright?" I asked, loudly enough for the others to hear.

"We didn't lose a man," Leon assured me. "Merlin's taking care of our wounded, but it's nothing serious."

"Though Lot's men can't say the same," Elyan grimly added.

Worry, frustration, and rage bubbled up and out of me. "Why does he keep coming for me? We're on the other side of Camelot, and I'm just one woman! What could possibly be so important about me that he'd keep coming?"

Gwaine snapped up, looking me in the eye. "You're not just one woman, Anna. You're brave, and funny, and kind, and fiery, and passionate, not to mention one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom. Lot'd have to be utterly blind not to see just how incredible you are, not that that's why he wants you. At this point, he sees you as the doe who got away in his hunt, and he's obsessed with getting you."

My insides trembled at his words, far too many emotions stirred up. "Then he's not going to stop until he gets me."

It wasn't a question, but Gwaine answered anyway. "No, he won't, but we won't let him."

"Wouldn't it be better for everyone if I just went to him, then?" I asked, pulling away from him and wrapping my arms around myself, frantically trying to keep from flying apart at the seams. "He'll keep sending men, and you'll have to fight them, and sooner or later, one of you will be seriously hurt, and then-"

"Better for everyone?" Gwaine's voice, so soft behind me, was filled with incredulity. And something else I couldn't quite identify. "Do you think Gwen would be better off without you? Or Hunith? Or Leon's girls? Do you really think Merlin would be better off without you, knowing his oldest friend was being… harmed? Do you think I- Do you think any of us could stand by and let that insufferable piece of pig dung touch you in any way? Do you think so little of yourself?"

"I can't let you keep putting yourself in danger for me!" I cried, whirling around to face him. "I couldn't bear it if you- any of you were to get seriously injured protecting me, or heaven forbid, killed! Do you think I could handle that?"

"It's our job, as knights who have sworn to protect you, to do so," he told me. His hands reached up to cup my face, thumbing off a tear I hadn't realized I'd shed. "And I will die before that cretin is allowed to marry you."

"But I don't want you to die, not at all and certainly not for me," I whispered.

"I won't die, not as long as you're around, love," he murmured, lowering his head to rest on mine, still holding my face in his hands.

It was that moment, in a dirty forest, with all of our friends surrounding us, that I realized I loved this man. This man, this loud, never serious, always teasing man who had such an impossibly good heart had stolen mine. I wrapped my hands around his wrists and nervously licked my lips, not sure what to do. But the movement caught his eyes, dipping down to gaze at my mouth. My heart suddenly pounded, and I wanted him to kiss me more than anything I'd ever wanted in my life.

"By sending his men across my kingdom, Lot has declared war," Arthur said, sounding so very loud and startling me from Gwaine's hold. "I was willing to forgive the previous band, since Camelot is so close to his borders, but I can't let this go. And I will not see my queen unhappy because he has taken her closest friend," he added, smiling gently at me.

"I'm not sure I'm worth all this, Arthur," I told him, ignoring Gwaine's huff of disagreement. "I don't want anyone to die for me."

"It's not just for you, Anna," he assured, "though that is part of it. If I allow him to continually harass any of my subjects, I am telling the world that Camelot is weak, and open to attack. I cannot let that happen. And I will not let him harm you."

I dropped my head. "Thank you, Arthur."

"And that doesn't mean you can sneak out away from us and give yourself to him," Gwen said sternly, even as she hugged me. "I won't allow that. Especially since our child will need its godmother soon enough."

"Child? Godmother?" I gasped, looking to her in shock.

Both Gwen and Arthur grinned happily. "We were going to wait until we got back home to tell everyone at once, but if it means I can use it to guilt you into staying, then I'll do it," she said cheekily.

"Of course, I'll stay!" I cried, throwing my arms around her again.

"Couldn't you have said that a bit sooner, Gwen?" Gwaine asked. I could hear the grin in his voice, even without seeing his face. "It would have convinced her far faster than anything I said."

 **AN: It's been forever, I know, and I'm sorry. But I promise I will finish this story. I'm not giving up on Anna! It's just gonna take a while for me to finish. Thanks for sticking with me!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

We rode hard back to Ryence's manor, abandoning the carriage in favor of horseback, once more. Gwen and I weren't terribly excited, but we knew it was necessary. Even for all I'd said about turning myself over to Lot's men to save the others, I wasn't keen on the idea. I would do it if it meant saving my friends, but only if I had to.

Ryence greeted us with considerably less enthusiasm this time, especially since Arthur had already informed him that, regrettably, we would only be staying the night. His daughters did, however, manage to keep their enthusiasm in check around their father, portraying themselves as dutiful daughters dreading their leave. At least, while in his presence. I was impressed by their acting skills. Then again, their father was a dolt, so it wasn't terribly hard to convince him that they really would miss him.

Lyonesse was simply brimming with questions about Camelot after we retired that night, but thankfully, Lynette convinced her that we needed sleep. After five days of hard riding, I could have kissed her in my exhaustion. I did manage to promise to answer any question either might have upon arriving in the city, but only after a day of recovery. My immensely comfortable bed was calling me, and I could hardly wait to answer.

Ryence didn't even appear to send us off the next morning. He sent a message begging Arthur's indulgence, claiming he took ill in the night. "More like he spent too long drowning his disappointments in his cups," Lyonesse snorted. Sadly, neither girl seemed upset by the prospect of leaving without saying goodbye to their father, which sort of broke my heart for the both of them.

"I know that look," Gwaine murmured in my ear, before leading me to my mount.

I ignored the goose pimples that skittered down my spine at his touch. "What look?"

"The one that says you're already planning on mothering those two girls, even though you're not much older than Lyonesse," he replied, then swung me up onto my horse.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," I said, attempting to look innocent.

His laugh warmed me far better than the weak sunshine of the morning. "Of course not. My mistake, milady."

…

Hunith and Gaius were waiting for us when we finally made it to the city, well after dark. Leon barely stopped to order his men to rest, see that his horse would be taken care of, and kiss Hunith's cheek before racing inside. "His girls missed him as much as he missed them," Hunith laughed.

"I wasn't aware that Sir Leon was married," Lyonesse questioned.

Elyan explained that Leon was guardian of his three nieces as we made our way inside. "You've all got warm food waiting for you in your rooms, as well as baths," Hunith let us all know. "And the servants all have strict instructions not to wake you before midmorning."

"Alas, I've got a war to start preparing for in the morning," Arthur sighed. "There'll be no lollygagging in bed for me, unfortunately."

"Strict instructions, Your Majesty," Hunith repeated sternly, eyebrow raised in that motherly way she had.

He laughed. "Of course, war can wait until midmorning, my lady."

"Yes, it can."

I barely remembered the journey to my room after that. I simply stumbled to my bed, took my clothes off, and crashed, face first, into its fluffy softness. And I knew no more.

…

It turns out that war is a complicated business. Even though Arthur was king, he still needed to speak with his council for something like that. No one disagreed with the decision, though Gaius and Geoffrey did caution waiting until spring. "Winter campaigns are far harder on the aggressor than the defendant, after all," Gaius reminded.

"And Lot has to know it's coming," Elyan added. "This way, waiting will give him longer to stew in fear."

Arthur and Gwaine both wanted to attack immediately, but in the end, cooler heads prevailed. It was agreed that Camelot would go to war in the spring. And there would only be two options: Lot's complete surrender, or his utter annihilation.

Preparations began the very next day. Arthur and Leon worked with the army, running drills and staging mock fights for the men. The rest of the boys drilled the knights, working them harder than ever. And we women weren't any less busy. From nearly sunup to sundown, we prepared bandages, dried herbs, and worked with Gaius to make any potion or salve that could be made in advance.

"Surely we've got enough?" Lyonesse asked.

That day, we'd been organizing Gaius's stock while the first snows fell outside. His cozy quarters were chock full, with stacks of bandages and boxes of bottles piled nearly to the ceiling. "It's never enough, child," Gaius answered, voice quiet with remembered sadness.

His words hit me with a pang, making me feel guilty yet again. I knew that men were going to die, good, innocent men, and I was the root cause of it. I could prevent it all if-

"Don't you dare even think it, Annaliese," Gwen growled at me. She marched her way to my side. Holding my shoulders in her hands, she continued, "This is not your fault. This is evil, horrid men choosing to make evil, horrid decisions. It is not your fault. And Arthur would do the same for any subject. It's not your fault." One hand dropped to cup her faintly rounded belly. "And I can't do this without you, Anna. I can't be a mother without my dearest friend with me to help me raise this baby. She needs her godmother."

"She?" I asked, a bit wetly. "It's a girl today?"

Gwen laughed, wrapping me in a hug. "Today, yes. We'll see about tomorrow."

And so I stayed. I wasn't sure what was worse, the guilt of knowing I was the reason for the upcoming war, or the guilt that came with contemplating leaving those I loved. The suffering of so many I didn't know, or the suffering of the few I knew so well. It was an impossible situation, causing me many hours of lost sleep. But I was never any closer to an answer, no matter how many hours I spent wrestling with the problem.

…

"Are you well, Anna?" Gwaine's voice at my side jerked me from my thoughts. It was Yule, and Arthur had thrown a huge feast for the entire city. Everyone was celebrating and enjoying a nice break from the preparations for war, but I couldn't help the maudlin thoughts nearly overwhelming me. So, I had escaped to the walls of the city, trailed as usual by my faithful guards.

"Of course," I said, flashing him a bright smile. It was entirely false, but I didn't want to bring anyone else down with me.

He didn't believe me, however. "What's wrong?" he pushed.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Anna, I know when you're pretending to be fine to lessen others' worry. Which really only worries me more. And you've been sad all day. So please, what's wrong?"

I didn't want him to be able to read me so easily. It made me wonder what else he'd noticed about me. "I'm just missing my family a bit, that's all. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Gwaine rarely listened to anyone, so I shouldn't have been surprised when he settled against the wall next to me, after wrapping his cape around me. "Tell me about them."

"My family?" I asked dumbly, clutching the cape to my chest, as if it could protect me from his questions.

"Yeah, tell me about them. They'd have to be pretty amazing for you to have turned out like you did." Normally, words like that would have had a flirtatious lilt to them, letting everyone know he wasn't in earnest. But, as he looked me in the eye, I couldn't help but feel he meant every one.

"My father died on Yule." I surprised myself by speaking, but once I started, they simply tumbled out without any guidance from me. "Well, not really on Yule, but we got word of his death on Yule. And we were evicted from our home on Yule. It was also Mother's birthday. We never celebrated either again."

"Tell me about Will," Gwaine suggested. "I've heard you and Merlin talking about him, but what was he like?"

"An idiot," I laughed. "He and Merlin were always getting into some scrape, and usually dragging me along with. But he was the best brother a girl could ask for. He tried to give me and Mother the sort of life we'd had before, though there was no way he could. He was just a boy himself. But he always tried. He would scrimp and save to buy me a ribbon, or a silk handkerchief for Mother, something little to remind us of the ladies we were."

Once Gwaine got me talking about my family, I found it nearly impossible to stop. We walked the length of the wall and back, and I talked the whole time. I told him about the few memories I had of my father, and how Mother had done everything she could to provide for us after his death, even though she'd had no skills whatsoever, being the daughter of a baron. She'd had to learn everything, but she had done it with pure determination and stubbornness. "Traits she passed to her daughter, I see," he teased.

"I'm nothing like my mother," I laughed. "She was strong, and selfless, and-"

"I'm failing to see the differences between you," Gwaine interrupted, grinning at me. "You are one of the most remarkable women I've ever met."

His words warmed me from the inside out, driving away the bitter winter cold. But before I could say anything further, a cry from the city below stole our attention. "Help me, please!" a figure cried, then, before our eyes, collapsed.

 **AN: I'm terrible for leaving you all for so long, but I've been having a bit of trouble with this story. I'm not giving up on Anna. It just might take me a while to finish her story. So thanks for sticking with me, and a huge thanks to KayJane16, Kayen1024, and gaylelbf for your lovely reviews!**


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